My Dad Calls Me the Raccoon Hunter!

Yep, my Dad calls me the Raccoon Hunter… not because I strap on my gun and actively hunt these guys (Although I must brag that I AM the best “shot” in my family!!) but because they always seem to find my car when I’m driving the rural roads where I grew up – and now live. I grew up on a plot of land called the Ballahack Road “farmettes”. I learned to drive well before it was legal for me to do so, and began to learn the “rules of the road” very early. In such a rural area, other cars on the road were a rare find, but animals on the road presented a daily hazard. I had many close calls – with deer, raccoons, dogs, cats, opossum, and even a cow.

Even in the midst of those adrenaline pumping close calls, I was always amazed by the power of focus… and the power of distraction. You see, those animals had a purpose for crossing the road. I am not always sure what it was, but they had some place they were going. If only they had kept their focus, and kept running, there would have been no close call. However, as soon as they see or hear the car coming, they FREEZE. They lose their focus on their original goal (whatever it was) and focus instead on the distraction.

I can’t tell you the number of times I have been like those animals. I seem to have had the best laid plans, that “somehow” get derailed by distraction. This is a very common stumbling block for women business owners, in particular. It seems that we have so much going on, that “life” gets in our way. Goals that once seemed right around the corner fade slowly into our own personal “idea and opportunity graveyards”. I knew I was capable of the success I desired.

So, what was separating me from the other successful business owners I knew or read about? What did they have that I didn’t have? What did they DO that I didn’t do? I found that the answer rested in the HABIT of SUPERIOR focus.

Remember… the type of committed FOCUS I am talking about is not something the successful have been born with and you – without. It is not something inborn, but something CREATED… day by day. Therefore, it is available to all of us. Every distraction ignored is a “win”. Every focused hour is a major “win”. Soon, you will begin to form your own (very profitable) HABIT of FOCUS.

WOW! Factor Tips to TRY:

1.) Keep a log of what (activities, people, emotions, etc.) distracts you. Much like going on a diet, we have to know where we typically “mess things up”. When you identify your distractions, it will be easier to plan for them so they no longer derail your progress.

2.) For those “common distractions” like returning phone calls, extended family obligations, etc., plan a time to take care of these things. When you have a plan to handle these distractions, they can be on your schedule and off of your mind.

3.) There can be no focus when there is no CLARITY. So, be VERY clear about where you are going and WHY so that you can weigh and align EACH activity with your core purpose and goals. A common question for me is: Is this taking me closer to one of my goals? This is a YES or NO answer… making it much easier for me to delegate my time.