Tweet

Focus is Critical in Business, Relationships and Achieving Goals

Guest post by: Cheryl Matthynssens

Article Overview: The importance of focus in business, communication and even relationships explained as well as the steps to increase focus.

Focus is Critical in Business, Relationships and Achieving Goals

Regardless of whether it is in a relationship, a conversation or a business meeting, focusing is a skill that all entrepreneurs must have to be successful. This applies whether you run a face to face business or whether you are working online. This applies whether you are listening to your significant other or closing a big deal before the close of the day.

In fact, depending on your motivation level at this very moment, even as you are trying to read this, you may be starting to think of something else rather then reading these words before you. Focusing for the purpose of this article is defined as really putting your attention and your energy onto the task at hand.

Poor focus leads to difficulty in learning new things, getting side tracked from more important tasks and even to you not listening and therefore discounting the person speaking. Face it, the inability to focus means that you will be stuck in life and a complete victim to your poor habit self.

Focus can take on many forms depending on the task before us. It can simply be paying attention to the person speaking. This means you have to really listen. The problem with this is two fold. Either we are so busy formulating how we will overcome the first few words of the objection or response before us, or we will let our mind wander and not be listening at all. The problem with the first is that if you are communicating, you need to hear what the other person is wanting from you. In business, the first few words from a prospect or client's mouth may not be the true concern or problem. If not focused, you might miss it and then when you respond, your prospects thoughts are more along the line of: "He just wants the sale." Or "she doesn't even really care what I am saying."

Another form of focus is in reading information, problem solving or studying. It is so easy to let some small thought lead us down a path totally away from what we should be doing. Have you ever been reading and then realized you have no idea what that last paragraph or page really said? When studying, especially information we need but we may not be highly motivated to learn, it is easy to get side tracked. What can you do? Connect the reason you are studying information to your bigger goal. What will this information do for you? If it doesn't contribute to the larger goal, why study or read it? If it is a problem that solving it, will not contribute to your larger picture, does it really matter? Connecting what you are doing to the bigger goal makes it easier to stay on track.

To work on focus, practice the following steps:

• 1. When you first realize you are aware you have lot focus, take a deep breath. If reading or studying then back up to what you last recall. If you missed something a prospect said, you can ask them to rephrase the last thing you heard with a simple statement like. "I want to make sure I understand, did you say/mean .....?"
• 2. Summarize either what you read or what you heard and then focus and move on.

The more you practice this, the easier it will be to refocus quicker and to catch the fact you are not focusing sooner.

Some of the most important tools in business are the simplest in life that anyone can acquire. These include but are definitely not limited to: communication skills, goal setting, listening (really listening), focusing, resourcing, affirming and view switching.

The best part is, refining these skills can be practiced in all aspects of our life: Home, business, relationships and self-improvement. This is just one more step to finding that true happiness that a balanced life can bring to each and every one of us.

Related Articles
  Successful People Focus on Their Goals
  It’s All About Time Management
  Top 7 Strategic Tips for Consistent Goal Achievement
  You Need to Close the Knowing-Doing Gap
  Most successful people set goals. How about you?

Article Tags: achieving goals, business communication, business relationships, focus
Referred by: http://jaykubassek.com



Related Forum Posts
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Re: Quote of the Day - ?"Where focus goes energy flows." - Tony - Focus on a single task, eliminate millions of disractions
Re: Alexa Ranking Goals - Thanks GT! This is still the right post for Alexa Goals but everything else can go to Kevin's Mastermind post! Cheers!
Re: Five Personality Traits of Successful Business Owners - 1. Focus 2. Ability to Adapt 3. Hard Work 4. Good planning 5. People Skills
Exclusive: Interview with Results - Hi Forum Members, I'm helping start up a Business Coaching and Consulting company here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (a Subsidiary of RSC Business in Los Angeles). As a Research and Development Intern I am required to practice my listening and interview skills by surveying Small and Medium Businesses on thier Business. This Survey is designed by RSC Business to also assist the Business being interviewed more insight into their own business. I am looking to interview about 30 businesses across North America over the span of 3 months. At the end of these interviews I will be publishing a report of the results and they will be made available for free to the Interviewees. The Report data will include responses from a minimum of 100 interviews. I would like to extend this opportunity to members of the Forum. If you would like to have this short 20-30 minute interview conducted on your Business and you reside in North America please send me an email or PM. Please contact me at andy[at]jvprosperity[dot]com to arrange our interview and to get free access to the results when they are published.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

10 Reasons Your SBA Loan May Be Declined

Starting a Business with Bad Personal Credit

Working Across Borders

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.