The majority of us lead very busy lives. With so many things going on it’s often difficult to maintain long-term focus. We tend to focus so much on what’s directly ahead of us that our long-term goals get pushed back. Luckily for you, there are ways to stay on track.
Here are four strategies you can use to maintain long-term focus:
Create Your Plan
This one sounds real obvious. It’s so remedial that people often think they don’t need to perform this step – and that’s where they’re mistaken. Your goals need to be clearly stated. In addition, the steps and path you’re going to take to reach those goals also needs to be clear.
One strategy you can use is to create a vision board. If you’re like me and not an artist you can do away with all the fancy decorations and collages. On a very basic level you should map out your goals and what milestones you need to hit to achieve them. Once it’s finished make sure your vision board is somewhere you can see it every single day. The point is you want to create your plan and get it down on paper. Thoughts are not concrete enough to maintain long-term focus. When it’s above your bedrest it’s a much different story.
Reward Smaller Victories
Whether you’re starting your own venture or working in another it often takes years (or much longer) before you’re able to reap the big rewards. That said, we often become stagnant and lose motivation when things start to drag on.
If you find yourself losing interest or motivation then you should setup a reward system that can reward you for smaller victories. When you make an effort to outwardly acknowledge your achievements it’ll motivate you to work harder in the future. Bring your team out to a nice meal or buy yourself that new pair of shoes you’ve been looking at. These small victories will keep you going until you have your big win down the road.
Always Prioritize
Time management is something that even the most successful business people still struggle with today. The ability to prioritize tasks and schedule meetings is a full-time job for the majority of executives. Hence why they use assistants.
Until you’re able to get to the executive level you’ll need to prioritize things yourself. Take a look at your to-do list or calendar and always mark off the one task you need to finish that day. If you can’t find one then you have too much free time. Prioritize each item by level of importance and soon you’ll have created an outline for what needs to be accomplished and when.
Find Your True Passion
Why is it that all the wealthiest individuals constantly tell us not to “do it for the money”? Since they already have their riches it’s easy for them to say right? The truth is, they’re correct and they likely wouldn’t be standing where they are today if it was solely “for the money”.
When you set out on your journey make sure to find your true passion and motivation. Sure wealth can be a driver but it should never be your main focus. It may take 20 years before you get your first big check. Whether you want to help the environment or build awesome technology you need to find that inner passion. Once you have it you’ll remain focused on the task at hand and will enjoy the journey no matter how long it takes.
Final Thoughts
We are entrepreneurs, dreamers, and innovators. We all have different goals and different paths to achieve those goals. If you want to reach those goals you need to maintain long-term focus or else the time will slowly slip away. That said use these four strategies to stay focused and achieve your dreams!
This article was originally published on Calendar by Renzo Costarella.
