Staying focused on one thing for a long period of time is hard. The highway to success is littered with smart, well-intentioned people that just couldn’t stay focused on the goal and execute accordingly. Don’t be one of them.
Don’t despaire. There is hope. In fact, there are examples everywhere of people achieving great results all over the place.
What’s their secret?
By following a few tried and true tips you can improve your focus, hit your goals, and get better results than you thought possible in 2017.
Here we go.
Stay Motivated By Documenting Your Goals
Whether this means writing them down in your diary or sharing them with your Facebook page, do whatever works for you. After choosing and documenting your goals, it’s time to move onto the motivation leg of the trip.
Figuring out what motivates you is your first priority. Without a clear sense of motivation it’s pretty hard to reach a goal.
Let’s be honest…
We are all motivated by different things. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help figure out what really lights your inner fire.
What would you do if you had a million dollars in your bank account?
Most of the time we think we are motivated by money, but we really aren’t. We are motivated by what we can do with the money. I, for example, am motivated by the freedom having the money gives me. The freedom to do what I want, when I want to, and from wherever I want to; and I want to work from home.
Figure out a way to capture that. Write it down, print off a picture or do whatever you need to do go get it in a place where you can see it on a regular basis.
What do you do in your free time?
How we choose to spend our free time says a lot about us. Figure out what you do in your free time and why you do it. That part is key. Use that as motivation.
Who do you spend your time with?
For most of us, family is a pretty good motivator. For others it’s friends. Either way, understanding who motivates us is very important as well.
Avoid Distractions And Be More Productive
Staying focused is easier when you are getting results. Nothing damages focus and determination faster than feeling like you are spinning your wheels. Distractions can be a killer in accomplishing our goals.
How can you do that?
Simple. Be intentional about what you are doing. People are really good at avoiding the very thing we need to do. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when deciding whether or not what you are doing is a distraction:
- Is this helping advance me towards my goal?
- Is this actually productive or am I just wasting time?
- Does this need to be done to accomplish my goal?
There are all sorts of tips to help avoid distraction, however the most important one might be to simply remove distractions from the equation. If you know Facebook is a distraction, for example, delete it off your work computer.
Understand Where You Spend Your Time And Focus On The Productive
Understanding where you’re spending your most valuable resource, time, is essential. Lately, I’ve been in love with Toggl, an extension for Google Chrome that not only let’s you track your time but let’s you assign a dollar amount to it.
Why is that important?
Understanding how we allocate resources in business is always important. It’s especially important when talking about focus and accomplishing goals. As previously stated, the number one killer of motivation is feeling like you’re getting nowhere.
The fastest way to feel that way is to waste time doing things that don’t add value to your business.
Leverage Your Network To Reach Your Goals
Most people work better within a social structure. Whether it’s friends, online acquaintances, competitors, or just other anonymous or famous people who have had success, find your inspiration somewhere.
For me, working closely with partners or mentors keeps me motivated; it feels like we have a common goal. Figure out what works for you and try to leverage that.
Have Some Fun
Fun is a relative term, but it’s something we all need to keep in mind. I know for myself, personally, I can get so caught up in striving for results I forget to take some time off and have some fun. This leads to burnout.
Don’t just stay cooped up working all day. In fact, travelling can actually make you a better entrepreneur.
The bottom line
Staying focused on accomplishing your goals is very important for entrepreneurs. Nobody is there to push us or make us turn anything in. Nobody is breathing down our necks or reviewing our performance every six months. We need to be responsible for our own accomplishments; we need to hold ourselves accountable.
Using some simple tools and some simple strategies, we can all be a little better off in 2017.