I’m having trouble staying focused. It’s rough. Sales are down and bills are up. Talk of recession has me scared. I sit and worry. It’s hard to pay attention and get things done. I’m having trouble sleeping at night. I’m not returning phone calls. And I find myself running around in circles. Any suggestions?”
I happen to know this owner has had some real success with his business, and in his life. He is generally realistic about where he is, and able to drive hard to get where he wants to go. The problems he’s facing, while real and significant, are getting blown out of proportion. He’s in a funk, and that’s not a good place to be. If he doesn’t change focus, and get moving, he could jeopardize the entire business.
When things get tough, it’s normal to focus on problems, even when that becomes unproductive. Attention tends to get centered on things that are going wrong, challenges, bad decisions and lousy breaks. It’s easy to lose sight of the things that were done right and where events will lead once these problems turn around. It’s also easy to forget that all things pass with time.
Let’s start with shifting focus. Look for positive history. See the track record of your accomplishments. Build a picture of what it’s like down the road once things turn around. Then come back and get to work on solving immediate realities.
Build a reserve tank of confidence and competence. Write out a list of everything you’ve accomplished over the years, both personally and professionally. Include big and little things. Fill out several sheets of paper. Push yourself to make this list as long as possible. Once started, add at least one positive thing to the list every day.
Post the pages of accomplishments on the wall where you’ll see them all day long. Use that list as if it were a resume. The things you’ve been through are building blocks, experience you can draw on. Look for themes. Figure out how past experience relates to handling present realities.
Now look at future opportunities. Realistically draw out a positive picture of your business and your life once things turn around. Answer these questions. What do you do in the future? How does that contribute to being satisfied and happy with your life? What does your business look like? How is it different? What changes make the business better? How does that make your life better?
Once you have a positive picture of the future clear in your head, write it down. Describe the future, as if it were already here. Make it work for you by weaving in that which you really want to change or have happen. Build in rewards for yourself that result from things turning around. Be specific and detailed. If it helps, clip pictures from magazines as examples of what you want. Put your description of the future up on the wall, where you can see it all day long. That’s what you’re working towards. Keep it in front of you.
Now it’s back to the present. Make a list of what you realistically can get done today, and only today, to make progress towards your future reality. Be aware that waiting for something to happen will only mean that events take control over you. Balance that awareness with a levelheaded assessment of what you can get done today versus what needs to be set aside to work on some another day.
Start with a very small list of things to do today. To begin, you want to demonstrate that you can accomplish something, anything. So make the list easy enough that you can master it in a day. Delegate what you can to others who are willing and able to help.
Put the daily task list on the center of your desk, where you can refer to it every hour and use it to stay on track. Start fresh every day with a new list. Check off things as they get done. Copy over from yesterday’s list things that still need to be attended to and delete items that don’t really matter. Use the list to help your brain and soul recognize you can make progress.
As you start to get forward movement, add more to the daily task list. If you get stuck, make the list shorter until you get moving again. File your completed daily task lists in a notebook.
Set aside time for daily reflection. Look at the lists on the wall, of past accomplishments and future rewards. Go through your notebook of daily tasks completed. Remind yourself that you can get things done and that there are real rewards for taking action.
Looking for a good book? Try Self Help Stuff That Works by Adam Khan.
