Focus On How You're Going To Get There

Having focused on where you're going (my previous posting), now you can focus on how you're going to get there.

There may be 101 ways in which to do this but some of these will be easy and some of these will be hard. What you want is the quickest, easiest and most effective way of getting there. This may not always be the most obvious one. In fact often it isn’t.. While the most direct route from A to B is a straight line it may not be the best solution. If the direct route happens to have a mountain in the way, it's easier to go around.

Think about what would be an 80/20 solution or route for you. What would get you there with less time, effort and cost? Don't try re-inventing the wheel if someone else has already done what you're trying to do, learn from them.

For my recent trip to Slovenia – we needed to get from Brighton to Stansted. We had three options bus, train or car. When practical, I try to minimise the use of the car but the difference between the amount of time, effort and cost involved in taking the bus or train, meant long waits, high cost, multiple segments and changes, against taking the car – shortest time, easiest route and lowest cost – even for two of us.

Which option gives you more with less for your particular situation?

The first one you think of will probably be the most obvious and the one that is likely to come as much from habit as anything. Take a while to think about other options, step back, brainstorm some ideas, ask your friends and colleagues. Find something better that gives you more with less for your particular skills, abilities and way of doing things. The ideal solution is likely to be the one that pops up out of the blue or comes from an unexpected direction, possibly when you're thinking of something entirely different, so give yourself a break every now and then.

Focus On Where You're Going

I've been reading Richard Koch's Living the 80/20 Principle. Essentially, how to do more with less. Sounds like a great principle to me. Who of us wouldn't want to have more but do less in order to achieve it?

• What do you want more of?
• What do you want less of?

In reality we spend a lot of our time, effort and money on achieving things that we don't really want. How much more productive would we be if we focused 20% of that effort on achieving 80% of the results. That's what the 80/20 Principle is about. You get 80% of the results with 20% of the effort, whether that's time, people, money, effort in can be applied to pretty much anything. 20% of the salesmen achieve 80% of the results, 80% of the population live in 20% of the cities, etc.

When you want something, all the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. [Paul Coelho – The Alchemist]

The basis for the Law of Attraction is that if you focus on what you want the Universe will provide. All well and good but you do actually need to get off your butt and do something in order to achieve it. You can't just sit back and wait for the phone to ring. The other thing that I've found is that once you're focused you are more open and aware of the opportunities that present themselves to you and these don't always come when and where you'd expect them.

So where do you want to go? What is it that you really want to achieve in your life? Be honest, realistic and most of all, specific about this. More money is all well and good and probably something that we'd all like but what will 'more money' give you and how much 'more' do you want? Cut out all the extraneous 'wants' the things that don't really mean much – think about the things that are important to you – think quality rather than quantity.

Forget about all those things that aren't really important and find the 20% that is. This week make sure that what you're focusing on is what you really want.

Time For A Spring Clean

Well, I hope you've had a great Easter Holiday weekend. Spring is always a time when after the long dark days of winter, things are revving up, the days are getting longer and warmer and our energy generally shifts into a higher gear.

If you spent the weekend eating too much chocolate and relaxing, then good for you, at least you were listening to what I said last week. I know this is another short week but don't be tempted to cram five days into four just to catch up on your emails. Take a look at my articles on handling emails.

Be even more organised about prioritising your work. Avoid those distractions that can suck up your time this week. Join me for an Integrity Day next week when you could spend the whole day getting things done.

If you've still got a few days holiday this week – take a look around and think about what needs a spring-clean. Whether it's clearing out a cupboard to make room for the summer wardrobe, tiding the garden, throwing out old paperwork, magazines and books, your computer – getting rid of old files.

Give yourself a spring clean too – healthy diet, exercise … with the warmer days (except for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere), it's always easier to think about eating more healthily and exercising more often.

Generally do something this week to get you and your business jazzed up and excited for Spring.

Are You On Automatic Pilot?

Here in the UK, we're coming up for the Easter weekend and a few days off. I'm sure quite a few of you will have been working hard since the beginning of the year, so I'd like to remind you to take time out to relax!

Maybe you've been functioning on automatic pilot – getting up, going to work, coming back home, the same cycle day in, day out. Just existing from one day to the next without really being aware of what's going on around you. How are you really feeling?

I'm all for work life balance. We spend more than enough time at work and we work to live, not live to work. However, more often than not, when we're busy thinking about balancing our life and fitting everything in, we can often neglect the one person in your life that's most important – YOU.

No doubt all you Mum's (and Dad's!) out there are busy looking after your families and making sure their needs are met. You're looking after your partner, making sure they're OK but how often do you take time out for yourself. Time to be totally selfish and look after your own needs. How often does what you do enhance your happiness and well-being or are you always running round after everyone else?

What one thing are you going to do for yourself over this next week? Take time out, sit down with a coffee or glass of wine and a good book, watch your favourite film, get some exercise. Treat yourself - a manicure, pedicure, facial or relaxing massage (yes, you guys could do with a treat too), a night out, new CD/DVD.

"The time to weave your parachute is not when you are about to jump out of the plane."

Don't let things build up. Set aside a little time each day to look after your own well-being.