Hello? Are You With Me?

Regardless of whether it is in a relationship, a conversation or a business meeting, focusing is a skill that all entrepreneurs must have to be successful. This applies whether you run a face to face business or whether you are working online. This applies whether you are listening to your significant other or closing a big deal before the close of the day.

In fact, depending on your motivation level at this very moment, even as you are trying to read this, you may be starting to think of something else rather then reading these words before you. Focusing for the purpose of this article is defined as really putting your attention and your energy onto the task at hand.

Poor focus leads to difficulty in learning new things, getting side tracked from more important tasks and even to you not listening and therefore discounting the person speaking. Face it, the inability to focus means that you will be stuck in life and a complete victim to your poor habit self.

Focus can take on many forms depending on the task before us. It can simply be paying attention to the person speaking. This means you have to really listen. The problem with this is two fold. Either we are so busy formulating how we will overcome the first few words of the objection or response before us, or we will let our mind wander and not be listening at all. The problem with the first is that if you are communicating, you need to hear what the other person is wanting from you. In business, the first few words from a prospect or client’s mouth may not be the true concern or problem. If not focused, you might miss it and then when you respond, your prospects thoughts are more along the line of: “He just wants the sale.” Or “she doesn’t even really care what I am saying.”

Another form of focus is in reading information, problem solving or studying. It is so easy to let some small thought lead us down a path totally away from what we should be doing. Have you ever been reading and then realized you have no idea what that last paragraph or page really said? When studying, especially information we need but we may not be highly motivated to learn, it is easy to get side tracked. What can you do? Connect the reason you are studying information to your bigger goal. What will this information do for you? If it doesn’t contribute to the larger goal, why study or read it? If it is a problem that solving it, will not contribute to your larger picture, does it really matter? Connecting what you are doing to the bigger goal makes it easier to stay on track. This is one of the first things I learned when I opened Balanced Freedom.

To work on focus, practice the following steps:
1. When you first realize you are aware you have lot focus, take a deep breath. If reading or studying then back up to what you last recall. If you missed something a prospect said, you can ask them to rephrase the last thing you heard with a simple statement like. “I want to make sure I understand, did you say/mean …..?”
2. Summarize either what you read or what you heard and then focus and move on.

The more you practice this, the easier it will be to refocus quicker and to catch the fact you are not focusing sooner.

Some of the most important tools in business are the simplest in life that anyone can acquire. These include but are definitely not limited to: communication skills, goal setting, listening (really listening), focusing, resourcing, affirming and view switching.
The best part is, refining these skills can be practiced in all aspects of our life: Home, business, relationships and self-improvement. This is just one more step to finding that true happiness that a balanced life can bring to each and every one of us.