If you’re a leader, you’ve heard this line over and over…. and over again: “Hey, got a minute?” Because many of us believe our job to be “CHO” or “Chief Helping Officer” we drop what we’re doing to answer the question. Boom, you’re distracted.

Sometimes you have appointments early in the morning. That throws off your normal routines. You spend the rest of the day feeling like you’ve out of control with your schedule and only get the bare minimum done. The whole day, you’re distracted.

And this happens: you get in your own way. You’re just not feeling it. You succumb to the social scrolls. The friction is just enough to keep you off your game. Once you’re on the hamster wheel, it’s really hard to get off. That’s right, distracted again.

Distraction comes in many forms and flavors. Regardless of the symptoms, the result is always the same: you don’t get your critical activities accomplished. In addition to the lack of accomplishment, it also messes with your mind. You know you didn’t do your best and that leads to discouragement. Discouragement, if it drags, can cause a rut that perpetuates distraction behaviors.

There’s a simple fix. In my work with high achievers who, yes, have bouts of distractions, the solution limiting distraction is focus. The more focus that you can have in both the activities that you’re doing AND in the bigger picture of what you’re doing the activities for and why you’re doing it, the stronger the armor you can build against becoming distracted.

Here’s 3 areas to create deeper focus that I use with clients to help them fend off distraction, create more productive habits and win bigger games with high fulfillment. 

Re-Cast Your Vision

A client felt rudderless. They were doing the work, yet they did feel like they were really moving towards a specific destination. Like rowing the ocean without a map or compass. To be sure, things were happening. The business was growing. Yet the client was not moving the business anywhere in particular and didn’t have a steady rhythm of meaningful activities.

I asked them to recast the vision. Where did they want to go? Why was getting there important to the business and to them personally? They re-engaged with the vision of their business. Moreover, they took this vision-casting assignment to their key team members and co-created a vision for each of them and their contribution towards the business.

The result of that became streamlining jobs and activities with greater direction and accountability. My owner client is energized and so is the team. Distractions are limited because everyone is focused on their activities.

Gain Momentum Early

The simplest “hacks” are sometimes the most effective. A client was having a tough time staying on point during the day. It was almost like they were fighting to get their activities done and most days they were out of flow. Obviously, their execution, performance and mental attitude were negatively impacted.

We reflected on the conditions that allowed for distraction. We found if they got a jump start on their activities the day runs smoothly and distractions don’t limit them. We backtracked all the way until we found the unlock key – their ability to get up on time.

Seems so easy. Yet, the snooze button or the lazy movements after waking up created a snowball that affected them just enough to give into distractions.

We put a focus and emphasis on shooting out of bed with the alarm clock. That momentum carried through to the office and their activities. In the first week of focusing on moving with purpose first thing in the morning, they quickly doubled weekly results AND the client felt even better.

Figure out what kick starts your momentum each day. Focus on getting that kick starter right and you’ll set yourself up for better flow throughout the day.

Tie Activities with Values & Goals

Another client spent the better part of a multiple decade career pushing forward on mission-driven work. Every opportunity taken was in the service of a mission. One would assume that being so mission-focused would lead to clarity on what is important and where they are going. However, even with mission as the backdrop, the client is still searching for direction.

WIth lack of direction, everything looks like a potential distraction. If we understand the concept of opportunity costs and we don’t have a clear path or North Star to follow, every opportunity looks more like a cost.

By working with values and understanding how their values work together and manifest in real life, we aligned those with activities that lead to goals. Opportunities are more easily reviewed and filtered. Daily activities have more meaning and results are accomplished.

Distraction is like a weed that grows over a flower, stopping its growth and dimming its beauty. When we are focused on our visions, get into momentum and align our actions with what is truly important to us, we’re able to break free from distractions, get better results and have our businesses fulfill our lives.