"Long term focused but short term ADD?"
I think everyone on here is pretty focused for the long term. We know where we are and where we want to get to. We are willing to do whatever it is to get there. At the same time, even the best of us lose focus in the moment and have to recenter ourselves.
Here are some tools that I use:
1. Desk Calendar: I know I know, there is something called outlook calendar and Google calendar but I like to put things on my desk calendar that aren't that important but that are urgent because it gives me a visual laundry list of "the other" things I need to get done.
Some examples of stuff I have are: "Make sure manufacturer get me their flyer's" This is an example of something that really isn't a action point but a reminder of me having the will power to "push it through". Intangibles that need to get done that aren't action points.
2. Put up phrases of micro focus around you: We all have long term words of wisdom around us but do any of us utilize short term words of focus?
I currently have:
a. "Get people to buy": My current short term focus is to get more revenue in the door, which goes back to getting more people to buy stuff. Sometimes it's the simplest of phrases that we need to tell ourselves not to forget.
b. "Time to go to war": This might initially seem like a long term focus but the reason I have this up is because right now the mentality that I need is a "fighters" mentality. As the enviornment changes I might take this down and put up a sign that says "Remember to breath". I think it is important to be able to change it up as the circumstances require.
3. Do something that you know will make you refocus or see something much much much bigger than ourselves:
The other day I was feeling really shitty. I had spent a 12+ hour work day on trying to accomplish some of my business goals and to be honest ended up further behind than when I started. To be honest I felt really crappy about the predicament I am in even though quitting what I am doing wasn't on my mind. 2 ways that I have found to quickly get out of these short term funks are:
a. Play basketball: Do something that is not the business that you are passionate about and that brings the real reason you are in business out. I personally use basketball. I play in a basketball league once a week for 1 hour. Now some people might be saying "Well that's why you are frustrated you aren't focused on your business" In fact that league is about the only thing that keeps me focused on why I love business. We rarely win but I love playing hard and it feels so good when we do. It makes me remember why I am an entrepreneur and it always seems to revitalize my focus for the next work day.
b.Go to the ocean: Every time I feel that in the short term things are way to overwhelming and there is just too large of a mountain to climb I go see something that is way bigger than me. The ocean really makes me realize no matter how big my short term issue or project is there are things that are way bigger in the world. For some reason that tends to do the trick.
4. Finally: "Think thankful" I think we can all admit a product of being a passionate entrepreneur is we get crazy sometimes from the day to day stuff. I don't think it's something that we necessarily excuse, but we can all relate to. When this happens to me I try to draw from something specific that makes me remember how good I have it. This means different things to different people but I think we all have something that we often thank our blessed stars we have in life. (i.e.: significant others, religion, friends, family, sports, hobbies) When things are getting bad I try to draw up in my mind a few of those things and usually it put things back in perspective.
Do people have tactics that they can share on how they stay focused on a day 2 day level? (I know I need more!)
I think everyone on here is pretty focused for the long term. We know where we are and where we want to get to. We are willing to do whatever it is to get there. At the same time, even the best of us lose focus in the moment and have to recenter ourselves.
Here are some tools that I use:
1. Desk Calendar: I know I know, there is something called outlook calendar and Google calendar but I like to put things on my desk calendar that aren't that important but that are urgent because it gives me a visual laundry list of "the other" things I need to get done.
Some examples of stuff I have are: "Make sure manufacturer get me their flyer's" This is an example of something that really isn't a action point but a reminder of me having the will power to "push it through". Intangibles that need to get done that aren't action points.
2. Put up phrases of micro focus around you: We all have long term words of wisdom around us but do any of us utilize short term words of focus?
I currently have:
a. "Get people to buy": My current short term focus is to get more revenue in the door, which goes back to getting more people to buy stuff. Sometimes it's the simplest of phrases that we need to tell ourselves not to forget.
b. "Time to go to war": This might initially seem like a long term focus but the reason I have this up is because right now the mentality that I need is a "fighters" mentality. As the enviornment changes I might take this down and put up a sign that says "Remember to breath". I think it is important to be able to change it up as the circumstances require.
3. Do something that you know will make you refocus or see something much much much bigger than ourselves:
The other day I was feeling really shitty. I had spent a 12+ hour work day on trying to accomplish some of my business goals and to be honest ended up further behind than when I started. To be honest I felt really crappy about the predicament I am in even though quitting what I am doing wasn't on my mind. 2 ways that I have found to quickly get out of these short term funks are:
a. Play basketball: Do something that is not the business that you are passionate about and that brings the real reason you are in business out. I personally use basketball. I play in a basketball league once a week for 1 hour. Now some people might be saying "Well that's why you are frustrated you aren't focused on your business" In fact that league is about the only thing that keeps me focused on why I love business. We rarely win but I love playing hard and it feels so good when we do. It makes me remember why I am an entrepreneur and it always seems to revitalize my focus for the next work day.
b.Go to the ocean: Every time I feel that in the short term things are way to overwhelming and there is just too large of a mountain to climb I go see something that is way bigger than me. The ocean really makes me realize no matter how big my short term issue or project is there are things that are way bigger in the world. For some reason that tends to do the trick.
4. Finally: "Think thankful" I think we can all admit a product of being a passionate entrepreneur is we get crazy sometimes from the day to day stuff. I don't think it's something that we necessarily excuse, but we can all relate to. When this happens to me I try to draw from something specific that makes me remember how good I have it. This means different things to different people but I think we all have something that we often thank our blessed stars we have in life. (i.e.: significant others, religion, friends, family, sports, hobbies) When things are getting bad I try to draw up in my mind a few of those things and usually it put things back in perspective.
Do people have tactics that they can share on how they stay focused on a day 2 day level? (I know I need more!)
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