Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Staying Focused

I always say, "I am my biggest obstacle." Does your mind race in a million directions? Do you struggle with staying focused on what is most important to you? For me the answer is, "Yes!" to both of those questions.

Last year I learned about choosing one word to anchor you for the year from my #LeadUpNow PLN. You may have seen the hashtag on Twitter #OneWord2017. This year, I chose the word FOCUS.


My plan for success!

To help me stay focused this year, I started using a strategy I learned in a book called The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran. This is not an education book, it is really about goal setting in 12 week cycles and putting things in place so you can measure your progress towards your goals.

Brian Buffini recently had Brian Moran as a guest on his podcast. Here is a link to it. It is definitely worth listening to. One of my huge takeaways from Moran's book and the podcast was the importance of having an accountability partner or group.


I am a huge believer in having a PLN. I have been part of different PLN groups on Twitter and Facebook. This past year, I discovered a new type of PLN. I joined a mastermind group. Meeting on a weekly basis with 8 other school leaders from across the country has been an amazing experience. Each week we discuss a different book we are reading together then take turns each week being on the "hotseat" for 30 minutes. I have never experienced this level of accountability before.

If you are tired of drifting, getting off track and losing your focus I recommend using a goal setting method such as the one in The 12 Week Year or Living Forward by Michael Hyatt. If you want to increase your probability of accomplishing your goals by 80%, join forces with like minded people who share similar interests and passions. For me, when it comes to staying focused, I've learned I am more successful when I don't go at it alone.