Five Keys for Focus and Action

We all get busy, in fact overwhelmed, at times with multi-faceted jobs and increasing workloads and expectations. It’s easy to fall into a state of paralysis if you don’t have an effective way to manage all of your projects and tasks. Plus, when are you supposed to work on the big picture items in your strategic vision?

Day-to-day management tasks leave little time for those core purposes you’ve identified in your strategic vision, but it’s essential to make time in order to keep you and your organization focused on those things that matter most.

Find a system that works for you.

Whether it’s GTD, or 7 Habits or Pompodoro or whatever, you must develop a management system for your projects and tasks. The key element in any system is capturing information… to do’s, calls to make, research, delegation, etc. Your brain needs to focus ondoing, not on managing and remembering your projects and tasks. Any system is designed to break things down into manageable pieces to help your focus and execution. You must discipline yourself to trust, use and review your system.

Here are five keys that support any system work and will help you stay focused on your strategic core purposes:

1. Write it down.

   Getting something out of your brain on down on paper (or at least in your computer) give it life and prevents it from getting lost.

2. Set a deadline.

   If something is important enough to require your attention, it must be important enough to finish. Setting a date for completion creates context for action.

3. Identify the first thing you need to do.

   Even the biggest projects have a first action. A marathon starts with the first step. Getting started on something gets you that much close to its completion.

4. Share it with someone else.

   Share your plans, commitments, projects and tasks with other people. This external acknowledgement will promote your own accountability.

5. Commit resources.

   If you spend money on it, you’re more likely to make sure it happens.

Today’s small college athletics directors often wear way too many hats. Juggling priorities, expectations and the ‘crisis of the moment’ distracts you from your strategic core purposes. Find out how we can help you.

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