Where do you get your focus?
by June 26th, 2008 Patrick GreerI’m right now in the middle of reading a book and it just occured to me how reading a book, hearing a special speaker at a meeting, listening to a podcast or attending a class will often help me do one thing but not the thing I expect. We often expect to go into a place of instruction or ispiration with hopes of getting a list or special formula for acheiving a special task however I have found that I am often fortune to get one good nugget of information I can take with me and use.
Our brains can only hold so much stuff. They say at one time we can only remember 7 things at a maxium. That is one reason telephone numbers are set up they way they are. Even better is a 3 or 4 step process. Even with taking good notes their is usually one thing we hear or see that inspire us to take further action.
What helps you get your focus?
Are you providing opportunities for customers or other people to focus or are you dumping too much information and confusing people?
Does your logo, web site, business card, photos, etc. help people remember that “one thing” or do they get overwhelmed with a long list of products and services?
June 26th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Great question! For me, in the midst of the “i’m home” mentality, there is no focus. Everything is jumbled into other things as well as itself.. inside-out.
But for my business/es, my career, my professional self… everything revolves around a single point:
I doodle (or in a professional term, I’m a professional illustrator). But everything I do, whether it’s marketing, programming, website maintenance… whatever, it all is done, thought up, pushed forward because of…. the doodle/s. Even in my affiliate marketing directions, there is an aspect of a doodle involved. It’s usually the topic that is key for me, but for someone else it my be the product, the subject, etc.
It’s easier for me to find a reason to do something - and better yet, do it well, if I know the reason I wanted to try in the first place.
I think everyone has their own “doodle” - it’s deciding what it is and why it is important that is the difficult part. Once this is determined, putting a focus to anything else involved is relatively simple.
:D
June 30th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Focus for me is directly connected to my purpose in life. When I get unfocused everything suffers. As a committed Christian my focus begins with being true to Jesus Christ who is Lord of my life. That entails Biblical input for all I do.
This Sunday our message was key to your blog topic. Our pastor said we have to identify our priorities and evaluate all use of time and resources to be sure they line up proportionately to our priority list. Ouch, I have to admit I handle life far too spontaneously and I was convicted to write out that priority list.
I plan to keep a time and expense log to see how I am commiting all I do to this priority focus. Then whatever wisdom, money, challenge and activity opportunity will be filtered through this priority list.
I’m hoping this improves my net profit of my time and money and heart investments.
June 30th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I hear what you are saying Kay. My general tendency is business and personal life is to be interested in all things tech and media related. Earlier in my self-employment people would ask if I could troubleshoot their computer problems and while I am certified to to that and have the knowledge I have to make a commitment to a specific focus with SpinningSilk Multimedia and that is helping clients distribute compelling content via various forms of “new media.” As interesting as a lot of stuff is their is only so many hours in the day.
Reading to me is like panning for gold or shopping at a flea market. A lot of interesting stuff, quite a few distractions but like the prospector panning for gold you need to well, look for the gold.