When it comes to high performance – either individually or organizationally – FOCUS is vital.
Actually, it’s the ability to REFOCUS that is so important.
I don’t know that it’s a realistic expectation to have long periods of uninterrupted, sustained focus – we simply have too many things vying for our attention (a good portion of those coming from those little devices that most people choose to be tethered to 24-7).
What we need is to develop the ability to REFOCUS when our minds wander, when we are distracted, and when we are not present.
In order to do that, we must first be aware of when that is happening.
Awareness is always the first step to improvement. You will never improve something you are unaware of. You will never fix something you are oblivious to.
In order to REFOCUS, you must first be aware you are UNFOCUSED.
Then and only then can you REFOCUS your lens.
So what is it that you should be focused on?
I use an acronym I first heard from Lou Holtz (former football coach at Notre Dame):
W.I.N.
It’s stands for What’s Important Now?
At any given moment of any given day, you should take a deep breath and ask yourself, “Am I choosing to place my attention in what I believe is most deserving of it in this moment?”
If you are with a client… are you really with a client?
If you are working on a project… are you really working on a project?
If you’re eating dinner with your family… are you really eating dinner with your family?
Are you ‘being where your feet are?’
Whoever you are with and whatever you are working on deserves your full attention.
They deserve your presence.
They deserve your FOCUS.
