Black Hole Focus How Intelligent People Can Create a Powerful Purpose for Their Lives

"...an absurdly motivating book." ?A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author

Don?t get stuck on a career path you have no passion for. Don?t waste your intelligence on something that doesn?t really mean anything more to you than a paycheck. Let Isaiah Hankel help you define a focus so powerful that everything in your life will be pulled towards it.

Create your purpose and change your life. Be focused. Be fulfilled. Be successful.

Black Hole Focus has been endorsed by top names in business, entrepreneurship, and academia, including 4 times New York Times bestseller AJ Jacobs and Harvard Medical School Postdoc Director Dr. Jim Gould.

The book is broken up into 3 different sections; the first section shows you why you need a purpose in life, the second section shows you how to find your new purpose, and the third section shows you how to achieve your goals when facing adversity.

In this book, you will learn:

• How to understand what you really want in life and how to get it
• Why people with a powerful purpose live to 100
• How to rapidly improve focus and change your life using the secret techniques of an international memory champion
• How people like Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey, and J.K. Rowling transformed pain into purpose
• How to start a business by avoiding willpower depletion and the life hack lie

Black Hole Focus includes exclusive case studies from medical practitioners, research scientists, lawyers, corporate executives and small business owners who have used the techniques described in this book to achieve massive success in their own lives. 


About the Author:
Dr. Hankel is an internationally recognized expert in the biotechnology industry and prolific public speaker. He's given over 250 seminars in 22 different countries while working with many of the world's most respected companies and institutions, including Harvard University, Oxford University, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, Baxter International and Pfizer. Dr. Hankel uses the science of purpose and the principles of entrepreneurship to help people achieve their biggest goals.  

Acknowledgements xi

Foreword xiii

Preface xv

Introduction 1

Part One Why You Need a Purpose 5

1 Make Your Purpose a Matter of Life or Death 7

2 Make Your Purpose an Escape Plan 11

3 Ask Why 15

4 Know Your Needs 21

5 Energize Your Dreams 25

6 Start at the End 29

Case Study: Garett Manion, PharmD 33

Part Two How to Find Your Purpose 35

7 Ruthlessly Evaluate Your Current Position 37

8 Create a Wish List of Actions 43

9 Name Your Future Position 47

Case Study: Garett Manion, PharmD 53

10 Determine Your Core Priorities 55

11 Define Your New Core Priorities 61

12 Set Short-Term Benchmarks 69

Case Study: Aja Davis, MS, MBA 72

13 Tell Yourself an Inspiring Story 77

14 Be the Hero of Your Story 83

15 Re-Write Your Story 89

Case Study: Lindsey Surace, MD 96

16 Question Your Focus 101

17 Create a Personal Slogan 107

18 Start a Meme 115

19 Put a Compelling Vision in Front of You 119

20 Turn Your Vision into a Decision 127

21 Move from Decision to Conviction 133

22 Celebrate Your Progress 137

23 Run the Numbers Behind Your Vision 141

Case Study: Brenda Jones, JD 144

Part Three How to Fulfill Your Purpose 147

24 Pursue Mastery 149

25 Acknowledge the 10,000-Hour Rule, but Don’t Follow It 155

26 Avoid the Life Hack Lie 163

27 Avoid Willpower Depletion 167

Case Study: Matt Giulianelli, DMD 171

28 Develop a Can-Do Mindset 175

29 Think Inside the Box and Move Laterally 181

30 Manipulate Reality 185

31 Build Rome Around Your Safety Net 191

Case Study: Michael Smith, MBA 194

32 Generate Me Capital 197

33 Invest in People, Not Ideas 201

34 Connect Without Getting Lost in the Crowd 205

35 Develop a Personalized Escalator Pitch 211

36 The Only Three Skills that Will Matter in Five Years 215

Conclusion 221

Notes 227

About the Author 239

Index 243

Primary market: The professional community of academics, medics, lawyers and those in business who are stuck on very narrow career tracks, lacking credible resources that show them how to escape or insights into more innovative ways to use their qualifications and intelligence.

Isaiah Hankel is a scientist, entrepreneur and personal development coach. He has been simultaneously advancing a career in cellular imaging and cancer diagnostics with a career in personal development and business coaching.