How to FOCUS Your Business by the End of the Month

Pareto was on to something when he said that 80% of our results come from just 20% of our effort.   Just a small amount of cause creates extraordinary results…  like a huge invisible lever to achieve results with purpose and peace!  When we do the INTENTIONAL RIGHT THINGS  we almost invariably accomplish more than by wantonly wasting time working 13 hour days and losing sleep. AND definitely more than worrying!

Isn’t it the case the majority of us accomplish much more from OUR FOCUSED EFFORT on the RIGHT THINGS than from doing the same things over and expecting different results?  And these can’t be other people or companies RIGHT THINGS.  Just doesn’t work! Instead they must be OUR RIGHT THINGS.

THE PROBLEM: How do you know? …. what 20% “right things”  to focus on that is?  How can you be sure that by doing THESE things…you can achieve breakthrough results?  How can you be sure if you’re focused on the best 20%?  Most companies AND people never really know!  Most don’t do the vital thinking that can change everything!  Just think:  if 4 out of 5 thoughts we think are the same thoughts we thought yesterday, we may just be hard-wired to keep doing the same stuff with the same results.

So, what might you do to find the best 20% regularly?

Here are 5 ways to FOCUS and find those best things.  I’ve already seen these principles work for me and  others in dramatic ways.

FIRE UP AROUND A CLEAR NEED AND NICHE

Fire means that you passionately engage and utilize your energy and desire to focus on this problem or help these specific types of people.  Though the temptation is to do it all or help everyone, you and your company can’t.  You need to go big by going small.  In other words, narrow who you’re helping and you may find that you are widening your world!  Actively ignore all others that take you away from those key needs and niche.

Do you believe that people have needs that you are uniquely suited to solve?  “No one is born whose work is not born with him” and  you are meant to do meaningful work: Some key questions to get there:

• Who has a need that YOU can best solve?  
• What or who would be “without” or lacking if you didn’t help them?
  
• What group of people would gladly pay you if you solved their problem and met their need?

OWN A “ONE THING” MINDSET 

Gaining a “One thing mindset” involves doing more by doing less.   As author Og Mandino said, “It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance the world.”  Most of us would make great strides and be more productive if we quit multitasking and simply invested the time regularly to FIND AND DO THE ONE THING.

Imagine asking this simple question every week: “What’s the one thing I can do this week such that by doing it everything else will become easier or unnecessary?”   Now ask that at the beginning of every day and watch out!

Recently I started facilitating a group with other entrepreneurs where we each share the ONE THING we will THAT DAY to advance our purpose.  We do it over the internet and hold each other accountable to 1. Decide our “one thing” and 2.  Complete it.  It’s both life-giving and incredibly satisfying!

I’ve seen this concept come to life.  “According to Dr. Gail Mathew research, when you write your goals down, you are 39.5% likely to succeed.  HOWEVER, when you write them down and send progress reports to friends, you are 76.7% more likely to achieve them!”

What could it mean for you if next month, if you were to have more than a 76% shot at reaching your goals??

So, here’s an invitation open for you if you are a purpose-driven entrepreneur, solopreneur, coach, sales person, author, communicator or marketer.  Join a 30 day challenge to make October the best month ever!   Goal:  Make your October SUPER PRODUCTIVE .  It will include 4 online teaching  and group coaching sessions, regular content around being purposefully AND peacefully productive.  I’m calling it: “30 DAYS OF FOCUS” It’s mean for to create breakthrough and GO FROM DREAM TO DO!   Here’s the link for you to get more info and to register: 30 Days of FOCUS

COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS WHO DO WHAT YOU DON’T DO, WON’T DO OR CAN’T DO.

If you study the trendsetting and transformational leaders, coaches and entrepreneurs, they act on one very significant thing: They proactively partner or affiliate with other leaders, companies and experts.  NOT ANYONE – but they choose those who are great at what they do AND those who prove trustworthy.  They form joint ventures, partnerships and alliances that are win-win.  They market together. They do joint forums, webinars and telesummits.

As for marketing:  the cutting edge collaboration trend now involves creating joint ventures and affiliates who earn a percentage to market and become a virtual sales force.  They learn from affiliate market experts like Pat Flynn.  They use tools like 1ShoppingCart.com to actively track  where leads and referrals come from.  And  now they use a fantastic new tool designed just for those who want to “Make a big mark together” called BigMarker.  It provides a platform that mixes stellar online conferencing, webinar ability, the ability to share documents, posts, calendars and proactively mark progress.  Tell them Jeff sent you!

• Who complements what you do that you do that you are currently working with? (person or organization)
  
• Who complements what you do that you do that you need to start working with or do more with?
• How can you do more together than either can do on your own?

UNPLUG FROM WHAT’S NOT WORKING

Yes, this can be excruciating for those of us who hate killing things that still possess the scent of life!   It’s like throwing away “perfectly good” strawberries simply because they’ve attracted mold by lingering in the fridge too long!  Or giving away “perfectly good pants” just because you haven’t worn them since Clinton was president. However, sometimes the best things won’t happen until we rid ourselves and our businesses of the mediocre and the messed up.  We make room for the new!

• What is “just not working?”  (or just mediocre?)
  
• What would it mean to “unplug” from what’s not working and not happening?
• Will you do it?

Finally

SHARE YOUR MESSAGE IN THE WAYS THAT WORK BEST FOR YOU

First getting your message out means being able to answer these two key questions:

• What is your message?
• Who most needs to know our message? 

Then, we must then know how we will deliver the good news.  And yes, it’s now officially overwhelming to possess more channels to get our message out then an old style TV!   So little time, so many ways to post, tweet, message, vlog and blog!  Can we really utilize all of these and do them well?  If not, which ones should we focus on?  Yes, we all require a website in today’s world of messaging.  But how about just choosing 3 from this list and deciding to become GREAT at those three? (Maybe 4 max!)  

Give this some thought… which three will you use to get your message out?

1. E-mail
2. Social Media
3. Print (articles, advertisements, etc..)
4. Blog
5. Video
6. Write published books
7. Write e-books
8. Podcast
9. Speak at live events
10. Host seminars
11. Live and Recorded Webinars

Do you see the point?  Sharing our messages just has got easier in the last ten years… AND more overwhelmingly complicated with more options at the same time.  SO, choose the ones that you want to master.

So here’s the summary of how to DO MORE by DOING LESS… and FOCUS YOUR BUSINESS BY THE END OF THE MONTH

Fire up around a single need or niche

Own a “ONE THING” mindset

Collaborate with others who do what you do don’t do, won’t do or can’t do.

Unplug from what’s not working.

Share your message in the ways that work best for you.