Posts Tagged ‘Staying Focused’

Keep your goals visible

Thursday, November 17th, 2016

You made a New Year’s resolution to set goals, and you’re doing it. Bravo! But are you doing it as effectively as possible?

Goals are only effective if you act on them, and you can’t act on them if you can’t see them. Too many people create a list of personal or professional goals, then sock it away in a drawer somewhere. Those goals are as good as dead. They will never happen.

Instead of filing them away, create a very visible place for those goals.

I have a friend who made her list of goals the screensaver on her computer. She sees them a hundred times a day, which means there’s a good chance she’ll achieve them. Laminate them and put them up in the shower. Stick them to your steering wheel. Whatever it takes to keep them front and center.

Organize your goals into separate lists according to timescale—goals for the week, for the month, and for life.

Don’t include everything. Life offers thousands of opportunities, but maybe ten of those will take you where you want to go. Don’t let those crucial ten get lost in a list a mile long. Focus on the ones that count, then post them where you’ll see them every single day.

Overwhelm

Friday, September 23rd, 2016

A Princeton study shows that work is more overwhelming than ever—or at least that’s our perception. Three-quarters of the workers in the study said work is more stressful than it was a generation ago.

That’s certainly true in some ways. But overwhelm often has just as much to do with a conversation going in your head as in the real world. When you tell yourself, “I don’t even know where to start,” a feeling of helplessness sets in. Every task seems to be shouting your name.

STOP. There are priorities here. Take a deep breath and figure out what has to happen first, what can wait until later, and what doesn’t have to be happening at all.

Suddenly the priorities are standing in line, waiting patiently for their turn.

Finally, stop telling others how overwhelmed you are. That adds to everyone’s feeling of overwhelm, and it gives the tasks in your head permission to jump out of line again. They are not in charge—you are!

Once you step off the treadmill of overwhelm, you’ll NEVER go back.

Indecision IS a Decision

Monday, September 12th, 2016

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in—business is about making decisions. But sometimes we find ourselves paralyzed, unable to make a decision for fear of making the wrong one. So we say we’re “waiting for more data” or “crunching the numbers” before we decide.

It’s important to be well informed. But there’s always more information to be had, and there comes a time when the lack of a decision begins to impact the outcome. At that point, indecision is a decision. It’s the decision to do nothing, and it can be costly.

For every project, give yourself a timeline not just for the outcome, but for the decision making process that leads to that outcome. Say, “By November 14, the budget will be set. By November 21, all design specs will be in place.” Then hold yourself to those project benchmarks. Make a decision and keep things moving.

Collaborate for Greatness

Monday, December 1st, 2014

There’s a common idea that great breakthroughs and accomplishments come from solitary geniuses and lone heroes.

Much more often, great things come to pass as a result of a consistent commitment to collaboration. Jump on board, and like the world itself, you can take advantage of the minds around you.

Network, mastermind, and brainstorm with driven people around you. Share your struggles, and let others help you navigate your way through the hurdles.

Commit yourself to maintaining an open mind. Sometimes the right answer may not sound right to you simply because you did not come up with it for yourself. But the power that you can harness by gathering these many minds is simply an opportunity you cannot pass up.

And remember, people love to help others who take the help and implement. That is the greatest complement to someone who reaches out to help.

Don’t Wear Exhaustion Like a Badge of Honor

Monday, November 3rd, 2014

You might think the boss will be mighty impressed to see you dragging your tired feet around the office. Obviously you’ve been working hard, right?

Think again.

The only signal you’re sending is that you are out of control of your physical and emotional health.

Make a pledge to become a well-oiled machine, NOT an overheated engine. Only the well-oiled machine is of any use in the long run. Get rest, eat right, and exercise.

If you see a frazzled face in the mirror, it’s not a badge of honor—it’s a failure to maximize your abilities by taking proper care of yourself and not focusing on affective and efficient work.

This is easier said than done. We’re conditioned to brag about our exhaustion. But once you make the change and see your productivity and quality of life go through the roof, you’ll never go back to that tired old illusion again.