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January has been more challenging to focus than I thought it would. After all, I have my list of projects to complete, speeches to write and marketing programs to develop. I started the year knowing what I want to create in 2010. Besides that, I teach and coach people all the time on narrowing their focus on what they do best.
Yet, this month has been a slow transition into the year. I’d like to say it’s because of the new decade or that the dog ate my plans. I can’t blame the weather because it’s been wonderful here in North Texas.
So I looked at why I feel unfocused. Each January, like you, I have new opportunities, new plans, new clients and contract renewals. All these opportunities stir up my idea generating mind. There are endless possibilities in everything I do so narrowing it down and picking a direction can trip me up. I love to plan!
Yesterday, I realized I needed to get a grip. Writing always helps me focus. So I am going to use this blog to share tips about focus. Today’s tip is to use a Mind Dump process to calm your mind when you feel overwhelmed or have too much to do.
A Mind Dump can happen in two ways. The first is to grab a notebook and write down all the thoughts in your head. Let everything flow without censoring your words. You may put down items on your to-do list, your ideas, your complaints, your passions, your successes. Write down anything that comes to mind. Schedule this at a time when you will be uninterrupted. You’ll feel much calmer when you get it all on paper.
If you don’t like to write, you can still use a Mind Dump process. Simply talk into a small digital recorder or a use a service like AudioAcrobat to capture what is on your mind. You may want to save it because great ideas can come out in the Mind Dump process.
You can use this everyday or when you are feeling out-of-focus. Choosing to make this a regular practice is useful for you to keep on track. Feel free to share your ideas on focus with me and if you use these tips.
Kathy Garland, www.kathygarland.com, is a transformational leader who improves the personal power of women leaders through branding, client acquisition and creating focus for the future. She is a radio show host for The Leader in You and a featured columnist on Empowering Women for McKinney Woman.
© copyright 2010, Kathy Garland, all rights reserved. Feel free to link to this blog post. For permission to reprint, please call 972.529.6744.
GOALS AND COMMITMENTS
We all know the value of goals. Having goals is like having a roadmap to reach our destination. Here are examples you are familiar with:
- sell one million dollars in products or services
- achieve top salesperson
- win a sales contest
Webster primarily defines a goal as “the end of a race” or “an area to be reached in children’s games,” which is not much help for our purpose. A secondary definition, “the end toward which effort is directed,” is a more practical business application. Very often we focus only on the end to which our effort is directed, our destination, and not enough on the journey to get there.
Goals set without a specific plan of action to get there are just words on paper. To make the most of your goals, look at the commitments, or pledges or promises you need to make to reach your goals. Commitments are a series of actions you take both for the short and long-term that will help you reach your goals.
Through deciding which commitments are needed to fulfill your goals, you can be more purposeful and successful about reaching them. Commitments are what you say we are going to do based on the goals we want to achieve.
A commitment is defined as “an agreement or pledge to do something in the future.” It is the daily, weekly and monthly actions necessary to reach your goals. The key is to make commitments that are focused on achieving your goals. You are most likely to honor your commitments when you are emotionally connected to them and are honest with yourself and others about what you will and will not do.
In a coaching program, clients make commitments with specific time parameters that help them reach their goals. For example:
- block off two hours each day to contact current and prospective clients
- finish an article for publication by Friday
- participate on one volunteer committee per quarter
Making commitments is a way to “chunk down” goals. Commitments are what drive you to reach your goals and focus your time. They need to be made on a regular basis. It is most effective to start with your yearly goals as a framework and make commitments monthly, weekly, and daily to make progress toward your goals.
Many people take their commitments very lightly and do not follow through with them. Make your commitments carefully and stay accountable to what you say you are going to do. For example, if you promise information to a client tomorrow morning and don’t get it to them until the afternoon or next day, you have not honored your commitment, which will hurt your credibility. Your reputation depends on how you honor your commitments to others.
True goal setting is a two-step process. First, establish your goals by deciding what you want to achieve. Second, determine what commitments or actions you are going to make to accomplish your goals.
Planning your goals and commitments is one of the most important tasks you can do to build your sales.
Once you have decided on your goals and commitments, find someone who will support you. This should be someone who is completely objective but will hold you accountable for your commitments. This can be a friend or a colleague. An effective way to stay on task is to hire a coach. Part of a coach’s purpose is to be a partner with you to manage your commitments so you do reach your goals.
If you would like to make sure you reach your goals this year, contact me at garlandkj@gmail.com to schedule a complimentary consultation. I have individual and group programs that can help you reach your goals. My website is www.kathygarland.com.
Thank you for reading my blog posts!
Copyright, 2010 Kathy Garland. All rights reserved.