Squirrel!
It’s one of my favorite scenes from the movie Up. The dog is “speaking” with Carl, played by Ed Asner. In mid-sentence, the dog whips its head to the left and yells, “Squirrel!” After a few seconds of staring, the dog goes back to speaking as if nothing happened.
If only it were that easy. Distractions last more than three seconds in the real world. The mental cost of losing focus is both significant and draining.
I began this year with a renewed focus on the “squirrels” that distract me. For 2018, “squirrel” became My One Word. Last year, many of my goals were hit and miss. Projects were started and stopped. Sure, we had record years in our advisory practice and at Rekon. However, that’s more a result of the previous year’s work instead of current productivity. I wasn’t accomplishing as much as I thought I should. If I’m going to double my practice, then my productivity must increase.
Must be the squirrels. Right? Wrong. The distractions weren’t the problem. It was a lack of prioritizing.
Instead of worrying about what I shouldn’t be doing, I thought long and hard about what I should be doing. Emphasize highest and best use, even before I consider delegating tasks or responsibilities.
Using the Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt, I set annual and quarterly goals. Some were achievement goals; others were habits (like exercise). Then I began work on the ideal week.
Prioritizing and knowing what to do is only half the battle. Determining when, as in which day(s) and what time, is critical. For me, Monday morning is planning and strategy. Tuesday and Thursday are client facing. Wednesday is non-client facing, with some flex time. Friday is out of the office.
Yes, I work at home on Friday. No desk, no email, no distractions (other than a cute Pomeranian that keeps staring at me). Some activities, like writing or learning, are best accomplished away from the office.
By focusing on priorities, and creating the ideal week, my productivity increased dramatically this year. I am achieving more goals with less stress than any other time in my career.
Last year, the squirrels were everywhere. Now? Not so much…
With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
