sight of a row of men waiting for an interview,
the muffled voices from neighboring offices or

workers, the plan for the day's work which is
being delayed, the anxiety for the results for
certain endeavors, suspicion as to the loyalty
of employees--these and a score of other distractions
are constantly bombarding him.

Every appeal for attention demands expenditure
of energy--to ignore it and hold
the mind down to the business in hand. The
simple life with its single appeal is not for the
business man. For him life is complex and
strenuous. To overcome distractions and focus
his mind on one thing is a large part of his
task. If this single thing alone appealed to
his attention, the effort would be pleasing and
effective. It is not the work that is hard; the
strain comes in keeping other things at bay
while completing the pressing duty.

_He is exhausted, not because of his achievements,
but because of the expenditure of energy
in resisting distractions_.

He is inefficient, not through lack of industry,
but from lack of opportunity or of ability
to concentrate his energy upon the single task
at hand.