In
the past few days, I have been enthralled, amazed, and truly inspired by the
Olympic games. I love watching the
competitions, learning the athletes’ stories, and watching each Olympian earn
his/her spot in history. The story
lines are beautiful and the entertainment superb. However, I am struck by the sage business advice found
in each Olympians’ story. This
morning I shared an article that spoke to the wisdom of branding on the global
stage. Tonight’s article is on focus and discipline.
As I watch the Olympians, each one
is focused on the physical challenge at hand. Whether a dark horse trying to put together the perfect
performance to earn a medal or the strong favorite expected to dominate the
event-the Olympians have the discipline of focus. These extraordinary athletes know that yesterday’s
performance, whether good or bad, is in the past, and today’s success depends
on having the discipline to focus.
In business, you also need the discipline of single-minded focus.
Think about your own practice. Do you truly have single-minded focus
on the challenges of today? Too
often, professionals rob themselves of the gift of focus by worrying about the
past. Every second you spend thinking about what you did wrong yesterday is a
second you cannot spend doing it better today. You have to trust me on this one, it doesn’t matter if you
made the biggest bone-headed mistake of your career five minutes ago, it is
time to forgive yourself, learn from your mistake, turn the page, and move
on. If you don’t, you rob yourself
of the discipline of focus needed to succeed today.
Are you thinking this is a lesson
you don’t need? Let me give you
the most common scenario that I encounter in my coaching practice. I work with type A, high achievers, who
routinely take on way more than they, or anyone else, can achieve in a
day. I call this the helium hand
syndrome. This willingness to take
on the world serves many of my clients very well. Until it doesn’t. At some point, the over- scheduling catches up
and something has to give. Whether
it is having to say no to new projects, turning in projects late, or feeling
like they are being forced to compromise quality to meet deadlines, the helium
hand-syndrome eventually catches them all.
There is no shame in being caught
by the helium hand. It is the
response to being caught that tends to separate the field.
Some of my type A, high achievers
come up with an aggressive plan to work through the helium hand crisis. These folks focus on the projects that
need to get done first. They
prioritize. They use militant
calendar discipline and laser focus to check off the items they must do today. They do not look backwards. Instead they focus their attention on
the next project, the next project, the next project until they work through
the crisis and feel in control of their work and lives again.
Others, go a different route. Others choose to keep repeating old
patterns, taking on more and more even when they haven’t finished today’s
priorities. At some point these folks
learn to hate all forms of organization. They give up on calendars, throw files around
their desks, and pretty much attempt to use disorganization to attempt to hide
from the ever-growing pile of work.
These folks rob themselves of the ability to focus on the present
because they spend their time worrying about what projects they should have
done or what dead line they might miss.
Eventually these folks reach a point where they cannot sleep through the
night because the never-ending to do list wakes them every night with the
regularity of an alarm clock. They
cannot enjoy time off because they are worried about the what if. This lack of focus wreaks havoc on
their psyche and single-handedly steals the joy of achievement while the lack
of discipline deadens the satisfaction of a job well done.
If you are reading this, it is
probably safe to guess that you too are a type A, high achiever. Kudos! It is a great
club. I am proud to be a
member. But, remember, even we
type A folks, make mistakes from time to time. If you happen to find yourself in the throes of the
helium hand syndrome, resist the temptation to beat yourself up for getting
there in the first place. Instead,
remember these Olympics. Let go of
any would have, could have, or should haves and attack the situation with the
discipline and focus of an Olympian.
About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business coach that is passionate about your success. A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals. Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by cracking their own personal code and doing business with intention. You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com or www.jonellevold.com.
