Focus = Simplify (An analogy)

In a discussion with a colleague she gave a simple analogy for maintaining focus that I really like. When you start a project you have a goal in mind - you are like a bus with the destination posted on the front. If it is an exciting and innovative project, as it evolves, people come along and want to bring their project or ideas and join yours.

Some of these projects and ideas have the same destination as yours and some have one that is different. For the ones with the same destination, invite them onto the bus and look for the ways that you can grow each others capacity. For the ones with a different destination, acknowledge the different destination and encourage them to proceed and look for other partners.

Don't change your destination without overwhelming justification and don't turn your bus into a boat. If you do, you will generally find that you don't reach either destination.