Focused on success?
Now focus your attention.
One time that successful professionals turn to executive coaching is when they feel overwhelmed by a relentless barrage of “to-do” items. For example, a client I’ll call “Jane” had just received a bonus and been recommended for promotion. But despite a flow of kudos from her bosses, she felt like she was barely holding things together.
I asked Jane to set up a log and keep notes about how she was using her time in the office. After a couple of weeks she noticed two trends. She was attending too many meetings not relevant to her top objectives. And while she was at her desk she seldom worked on a single project for more than 10 or 15 minutes before she was interrupted by a call, email or visit from a colleague.
Jane decided to stop saying “yes” to every request, and to exercise more control over how she spends her time and energy. One way she stays more focused on critical goals and values is that every morning she identifies a significant task, like a segment of a large project, to accomplish by day’s end. And on her calendar she has a 60 to 90-minute work period for the key task of the day. When that time block starts, she shuts her door, takes a few deep breaths, and starts working on the day’s top task, mostly ignoring phones and email.
When we start treating our attention as a valuable resource, it can change not only how we work but also how we live. In his most recent book, “Focus – The Hidden Driver of Excellence,” influential psychologist and prolific writer Daniel Goleman says leaders, and all the rest of us, must learn to better direct our attention if we want to get things done and live full lives. [Read more…] about Are you focusing your attention on what matters most?
