What’s Stopping You? FOCUS?
A few weeks ago, I asked you a simple question,
“What’s YOUR roadblock? What’s keeping you from getting to where you wanted to be this year? What’s stopping you?”
Ok, so it's three questions. 😉
I got a bunch of responses. You can read them here –> http://nicoleonthenet.com/2007/whats-stopping-you/
It appears that FOCUS is one of the main areas holding you back.
There are a few things I could talk about here.
1. How a coach would help, big time. (Even if that coach is someone you're accountable to like your husband or mother or sister.)
But, instead, I'm going to make a confession. I struggle with Focus, too.
When, I was at a conference recently, a woman I met said that Focus stands for…
F – FOLLOW
O – ONE
C – COURSE
U – UNTIL
S – SUCCESSFUL
She admitted that she didn't come up with the phrase. (If you know who did, please post below.) But, I still thank her for sharing it with me.
Many of us feel almost desperate for success. Maybe your husband is applying pressure that you'll have to go back to work, or there may be some unforeseen medical bills that have to be paid. The reason is different for everyone, but, once you get into that desperation mentality, it's hard to see through the panic, so we jump from project to project, company to company (or continue to add more to our plates).
The result? We're not successful at ANYTHING.
Now, that certainly isn't what the ladies that posted to my original post stated. (I certainly don't want to point fingers or put words in their mouths.) But, it is something that I struggled with after my husband lost his job. I went into this panic mode and … well, I'll just say that it wasn't pretty. 😉
You'd think that, once I started to see a large amount of success, that the focus would be easier. But, actually it's gotten WORSE. Now, I have offers flying at me, and people who want to hire me, and I'm having to learn to say the dreaded “no”. (Yes, it's hard when someone you've looked up to for years asks you to work for them and you have to say “no, thank you”. UG UG UG!)
I digress.
What I'm going to ask you to do right now, is the same thing that I'm doing. I'm looking at my taxes, and seeing where the money is. I'm following the money trail. Everything else — will be GONE. (Dropped, sold, or outsourced.) Yep. A Business version of “Clean Sweep”.
Care to join me? I hope so. (Otherwise, this post will be very lonely.)
If you're doing multiple businesses, or multiple websites, or too many commitments at church or school, if you have multiple clients, or a client you just don't like, or just too much stuff — let's lighten our loads!
However, if you're looking at your business and have NO idea where you should focus, you may be interested in this course “The Power of a Focused Business”. (You can see, I'm a contributor!) 🙂
From there, we can work on some task lists and goals. But, first, let's drop the baggage and FOLLOW ONE COURSE UNTIL SUCCESSFUL.
Please post your thoughts below.
Nicole
Dar Arechederra
April 16, 2007 at 9:21 amHi, Nicole! What a breath of fresh air you are this morning. 🙂
I recently opened my third site, and I’ve discovered I’m definitely focus-challenged (smile). Thanks for the encouragement.
Now, I’m going to look at my ‘baggage’ and see what I’ve got. I’m going to start with deleting myself from newsletters I don’t have time to read anymore.
Anna Hodges
April 16, 2007 at 9:27 amGee, Nicole, I definitely agree with that definition of focus. I will think of it often as I am beginning my online writing career.
It is very easy to be sidetracked in several different directions. I may follow a link to an e-course about report writing or e-course writing, etc. My main goal for my site is to produce original articles to market. All the other areas are great, but as I said I am just beginning to learn about internet marketing.
I love dramatic, creative writing, and there is a place for it, but not for what I am trying to do with my business. I home school my 9-year-old son through a virtual academy and I am in the process of writing some informational articles pertaining to that. I have learned that it is informational content that sells on the internet. It has been a little difficult to believe that I have knowledge about some things that others may want or need.
Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is, I need to pick one area, like article marketing, and learn to do that successfully. Then I can pick another area to learn and add it to my business. Otherwise, I find myself going off in different directions, but not accomplishing anything.
Thanks,
Anna
Janice Ferrante
April 16, 2007 at 9:39 amHi Nicole! I so agree! I find that it really applies not only to the big picture, but the small, day to day picture as well.
Lately I’ve been trying very hard to maintain working with blocks of time, and doing what Brian Tracy calls “single handling”, working on one thing at a time.
Also to keep at it until it is finished when ever possible (if not, to be sure that I pick it up first at the next opportunity instead of something else)
This is really helping, as I am also the “queen” of starting things and not finishing them, major waste of time even if I am focused!
take care,
Jan
Janice Ferrante
April 16, 2007 at 9:40 amNow what was I doing? :0))
K.C. Gagne
April 17, 2007 at 4:43 amHee hee… I’ve apparently been adding to the UNfocus of at least one of your readers by helping them launch their third website. 😉
I have actually been doing a pretty good job lately keeping my focus on the money-making activities. My website clients have been coming first. And ONLY when I have a short lull do I spend time working in my website. (Notice, I said “website”? I’m focusing on ONE for now.)
~ K.C.
Arika
April 19, 2007 at 9:22 pmI love the Focus acronym Nicole. I am posting that on my desk righ next to my monitor to hopefully help me remember it! 🙂
I’ve actually started outsourcing some of my work so that I can focus on the things that are really making me money, but not lose the other things that are important to keep my business growing and I know that before too long it will all pay off!
Annette
June 13, 2007 at 8:21 pmHmmmm….but how can I go to godaddy.com and NOT buy a domain name? That’s like walking past M&Ms in a bowl and not taking one!!!
Seriously … great post Nicole! Follow the money trail girl!