This is my last one-word title blog post. At first I didn’t try to do it that way, but it just happened and I ran with it. 10 one-word titled blog posts. I’m curious what effect it has on open rate. But that’s not what this post is about. Ironically enough, this post about focus started off on a rabbit trail, as it were.
Focus.
Last year, I heard a guy promoting his book on a podcast and talking about how he picks one word each year. This word helps him set a theme and grow both personally and professionally for the year. It motivated me to try this whole “one word” concept. So, in late 2014 I picked the word “focus” for 2015. I want to reflect a little on what effect the word focus had on my 2015 year. I noticed 2 ways it had an effect on my year.
- Opportunities – As we sat at the kitchen table with a business friend talking about The Living Room Coffee House, he asked us if we had people present opportunities to us often. We didn’t really. We were making our own opportunities. Now, almost 3 years later, we do have opportunities presented to us often. It comes in the form of a business for sale, a friend with a “great idea,” or a new integration in J2. Opportunities are everywhere. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to want to chase after these new shiny objects. When they did, the word focus came to me. Dave Ramsey says that the key to success is focused intensity over time.
- Family – So, it’s not hard for me to work hard. It’s innate in me. My work is a big passion of mine. Part way through the year, I realized that the word focus applies everywhere, especially at home. I began to see that I could focus on work while at work, and focus on family while at home. This focused intensity that Dave talks about can and should apply to my time with my family. That means putting the phone away, listening carefully, playing with my girls, and loving on my family.
Here we are in late 2015, I’m looking for a word that builds on focus. One of my contenders is execution. I challenge you to pick a word for your year. Try to find one that applies to both your professional and personal life.