Thanksgiving is a distant memory. Christmas, Hanukah, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day are over. You’ve finished the leftovers, opened presents (and perhaps returned a few), toasted the new year, and eaten black-eyed peas. The only remnants of the holidays that remain are some gifts you haven’t yet returned, football playoffs, the NCAA championship, the Super Bowl, and perhaps a few extra pounds.
In the last week or so, I’ve heard several people comment, “I’m so ready to get back to my routine”. The question is: Is your “routine” what you need to get back to? Does it serve you well? Are you satisfied with the results of your day-to-day activities?
If so, great! Good for you.
If not, then it’s likely that 2015 will be the “same old same old” that you experienced last year.
At this time next year, what if you could look back with pride on your personal and professional accomplishments? That would be exhilarating, wouldn’t it? And, if that feeling is something you want to pursue, then the “same old same old” simply won’t do.
I admit it. Focus is difficult for me. I’m easily distracted. Like a powerful magnet, interruptions, random thoughts, insignificant items on my “to do” list pull me away from my goals and good intentions. In fact, while writing this, I’ve been distracted by a phone call, two texts, and three emails. So, please understand that what I’m suggesting for you is something that I have to work on myself.
My coach, mentor, and friend Mark LeBlanc, owner of Small Business Success (www.SmallBusinessSuccess,com), frequently reminds me and his other clients that “Focus is everything. The more focused you are, the easier everything becomes.” So true. And it leads to the question: What are you focusing on?
For years, I’ve suggested to my clients that individually and as an organization there is power in creating a theme for the year. I do this for myself as well. The theme can be a word or phrase on which to focus, a mantra to keep the team (or the individual) on track. Posting it in prominent places can help keep it top of the mind.
What do you need to focus on in 2015? Where does your organization need to place its focus? As a individual, do some brainstorming around this. What word or phrase would help drive your success? For an organization, do some team brainstorming. What would motivate your people to get out of their routine and move toward real, exhilarating accomplishment?
Here are some ideas to get you started. You might choose something inspiring like “Be Extraordinary”. If you struggle with procrastination, you could borrow the Nike catch phrase “Just Do It”. How about a team mantra like “All In”. In the February CD edition of Success Magazine (www.Success.com), the publisher Darren Hardy talks about the hard work necessary for success. His theme is “Grind It Out”, which refers to doing the work that needs to be done even when it’s hard and whether you feel like it or not.
If you’re a person who finds focusing on one word or phrase for a whole year challenging, you may want to have a new word each month or even each week. Figure out what suits you best, and go for it.
In 2015 if that exhilarating feeling of accomplishment is something you want to pursue, then the “same old same old” just won’t do.
