January naturally lends itself to new beginnings and our natural desire to do better.  Almost without exception all of my coaching conversations thus far have included something related to improvement in the focus department.

Focus is a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time.  One of the exercises that I have clients do is to identify times during the week that they can block out for projects and or critical thinking.  They are to have their administrative assistants put it down on their calendars as “unavailable” and rarely is the event to be cancelled although it can be moved.

To help them with the rapid flow of leadership issues that occur during the week, they are encouraged to create an open list called their “Critical Focus List (CFL).”  This is nothing more than a place where they can keep a list of projects and or decisions that they are going to work on during the time they have reserved for focus work. This is communicated with their team members so that they know when they can expect decisions to be made or responses to their questions given.

This “trick of the trade” has helped many of leaders over the years and is a tool that I still use every week.  This is not rocket science but I am surprised how many leaders struggle to take a proactive approach to their work load.

Here are a few questions for you that might be of help:

1. Do you have some sort of a CFL that is easy to access and update?
2. Do you block out times on a regular basis for focusing?
3. Have you created a culture in your office that promotes the use of blocking time and the use of CFLs?

With a little effort and improvement you will find yourself next December feeling better about your year and the way your invested your life.

Remember, if you can’t lead yourself well you will always struggle to lead others well.

If you want a simple list of areas that you should evaluate in your personal life on a regular basis, here they are:  Your Habits, Your Health, Your Relationships, Your Time, and Your Money.  These are the areas that require consistent self leadership and if neglected eventually make their way into your professional life and effect your ability to perform at your full potential.  You might take some time this week to ask yourself some honest questions about these 5 areas and give yourself a personal evaluation.  If you find an area that needs improvement, identify 3 things you can do in the next 24 hours to start the process of changing.  Finishing well is not automatic and requires self leadership and this is something that no one else can do for you.  Be willing to make whatever changes necessary so that you can experience your full potential.