Keep Your Focus and Get Your Goals

Keep Your Focus and Get Your Goals



The secret is to have sustained focus. This keeps your eye on the ball and your attention on what needs to be accomplished. Your energy is then concentrated on what needs to be done. Your chances of success are tied to the focus you have on them.

It is not hocus pocus, it is keeping your eye on the ball. The key to success is focusing on the things you need to get done. When I was given goals I would break them down in what was easiest to achieve first and then going to the harder tasks next. I always felt that those early successes would give myself and the team momentum. As you accomplish the easiest task you gain the confidence to take on the more difficult ones. You also can devote more resources to tackle the progressively tougher goals.

This is what I would do first. I would list the goals in order of the most doable first. Then in order of the degree of difficulty I would list from one to whatever the number you needed to get done. Some people would say this is a cop out but in my opinion it gets the ball rolling. Then I would identify if the first goal was a total store goal or a goal that was relevant to a section of the store. So if the first goal was to insure that everyone in the store greeted every customer as they came within ten feet I would put my focus on reaching a high level of participation on that. If the next goal was for the stockroom to insure every order placed for shipment was sent out each day. I would work with the sales team and the warehouse to set a plan in motion on how this could be done and then I would monitor the process to be certain we procedures in place that would assure its success.

The goals all have accomplished. But there success is better gained by breaking them down so they are doable. You can take the list of goals to be achieved and get the easy ones out of the way first. As I said when each goal accomplished it gives your team more confidence to tackle the next one. The goals don't have to wait to be fully achieved before you start the next one but you need to not start too many at once. If you have too many things going on you will risks confusing your staff and team members.

Remember the process is to go from the easy to progressively more difficult. As you accomplish each goal you must set up a system to insure that your progress is maintained. You might make one of your staff in charge of maintaining it until it is habit or ingrained in the store culture. From then on you just have to monitor on a regular time frame. As each goal becomes more routine you have more assets to help you attain each goal.

With your plans laid out it has to be your focus that brings the energy to get each task done. You have to set up focus triggers to keep on track. I would put up several reminders in my office, a sign on my door, a picture frame on my desk with the goals, I have even gone to the printer and had my goals printed on pads that I used for meeting notes. It is what works for you, but you have to be honest and realistic with yourself on how you are to be reminded. Just putting a sign on the inside of your door won't be noticed if you have a open door policy and rarely close it.


So here is the way I would do this:

1 Arrange the goals in descending order from the easiest to the most difficult.

2 Have a plan for attaining each goal.

3 Implement the first goal and as you see it is working start the next.

4 Avoid starting too many at one time. This will lead to confusion.

5 Focus. Most importantly you need to be focus daily and do the things to keep your focus on the task

This would be a good time to set a personal goal the sense of accomplishment at work would probably carry over to your personal life and help you reach those goals as well. Stay focused use good reminders.