Putting Perspective into the Challenge of Focus #management

I have not posted recently because I have been preoccupied by business travel problems - I have never had so many cancellations, reroutes, and travel delays. Sleep deprivation, bad food and missed meals, hours away from my computer, hotel rooms next to the landing strip. Nagging illnesses inflamed by my stress related lower immunity and exposure to thousands and fellow travelers. Mother Nature, please stop snowing!

I was eating breakfast at my hotel this morning while mentally going down my to-do list. I am behind on several things and like many of you, I can work myself into a victim conversation (see above for a great example of a victim conversation). When I whine about how much I need to get done, my husband is quick to suggest I read a book about how to focus. This is a friendly dig and reminder, because I wrote the book he is referring to (Focus Like a Laser Beam).

Yes, I need to follow my own advice. We all do, right? How many times have you caught yourself struggling with a topic about which you routinely give advice? Do as I say......

Back to focus. Back to victim conversations. Truth be told, I am very lucky and the fact that I have so much going on is a very good thing. The first step I need to take to improve my focus is to stop whining. Victim conversation are paralyzing. They divert precious mental energy AWAY from solving my challenges.

OK, I have defenestrated my victimitis. What's next?

The second thing I need to do to improve my focus is to adopt a more helpful perspective about the long list of things I need to get done. Instead of thinking about the VOLUME of things I need to do, I will focus on the POSSIBILITY that each project is affording me. I also need to change my mindset away from ME-ME-ME (I need to do it all) to thinking about these possibilities as tasks worthy of involvement and help from others.

With my head on straight and my perspective primed for action, the next step to improving my focus is carefully selected ACTION. How should I spend my time? How can I leverage my time to get things done? Which tasks can be modified to make them simpler to complete? Which commitments might need to be renegotiated? How might a little innovation help? How can I involved others and how might this become a win-win? How might making unreasonable requests help?

I will be back in my office this afternoon. I intend to blast through all the little things that are on my list today. These tiny tasks create a lot of mental garbage and it feels good to get them out of my mind. Then tomorrow and the weekend I can make good progress by using a technique I call chunking (see more about that here). Also this afternoon, I will come up with a list of at least five unreasonable requests that could make the greatest difference.

I think focus is most enhanced by a good mental game. Sure, organization techniques are helpful, but what most gets in our way is our own thinking. If you are struggling with feelings of overwhelm and being behind on your projects, give this process a try:

• Defenistrate victimitis.
• Change your perspective to a focus on possibility.
• Get into action (small stuff, best use of time, make requests, innovate, renegotiate, use chunking).
• Repeat as necessary.

Comments

[Tim Griffith]

Thanks for the timely post, Lisa. Your items under the "actions" section made me think of your practical funnel concept for management development (manage inputs, reduce barriers, increase capacity) - intentional?

[lisa haneberg]

Tim - excellent observation! I have to admit that the connection is not intentional, but I am not surprised that the correlation is there since I see these "inputs" as common elements to most management jobs.

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excellent tips Lisa! it really inspire me, i really enjoyed reading your article actually not just enjoyed it but i also gain new information on it. thanks!

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