Do you keep the main thing
the main thing?

Keeping the main thing the main thing may become extremely challenging for Small Business Owners. You always have and endless To Do List to guide your day – but does it? If you’re like most Small Business Owners, YOUR Business’s Performance would significantly increase if you could consistently do your main thing.

Have you ever had a week or weeks where you’re just over the top busy with activities – all good, but super busy?

What finally kicked her off her productive plan?

Well, I’ve been wonderfully productive for almost 3 months now. I’ve been working on some systems to automate some larger parts of my business. How?I do 90 Day Sprints or 90 Day Challenges. I’m just about to wrap-up one right about now and my action switch has been locked in the position: ON!

Usually 90 Day Sprints of work are a really manageable approach for me. I like pushing through some great things in 90 days. It keeps me focused on what matters most. This is one of the ways I stay focused and perform at a really high level.

This current challenge had some interference along my path. Some really big, serious, and unusual things – far beyond the normal challenges of being a Small Business Owner. Have you ever had a couple hum-dingers in a row like I have this summer?

Those hum-dingers (really big interference) were working hard to throw me off my game. Finally, I came to a screeching halt!

I just couldn’t do it anymore. I lost 3 days of productivity because I was all over the place – in complete reactionary mode. Not my norm and definitely not my favorite way of being.

What did she do to get back on track?

As I put my productive work on hold, I went into working to clean up those untimely messes, which came in all at once! They needed my full attention so I could get back to my work. This was a matter of prioritizing.

I took a good old fashion time-out from everything. Ultimately, I gave myself permission to stop all action and chill-out. 

I took what I call a productive time out. During this pause, I:

1. went outside and focused on breathing deeply
2. noticed all the wonderful trees and birds which surround my backyard
3. drank a couple glasses of water
4. looked at my vision board
5. opened my inspirational quotes file

BONUS! I rediscovered this quote: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” ~ Stephen R. Covey

This reminder was all I needed. So I shifted my focus to the main thing being what I needed to address.

NOTE: I kept it the main thing at this priority level  – until it wasn’t any longer.

Once all that interference wasn’t a priority, I could get back to my intended project with a clear mind again.

Strengthening YOUR “Main Thing Muscle” 

How strong is your muscle to stay on task? Could you use a little encouragement?

A couple times a month I have other Small Business Owners (SBOs) ask me, “How do you do it?” or say, “I don’t understand how you do it!”

There’s really no secret, but everyone thinks there is. People have been writing about the powerful effects of focus, concentration, attention, and prioritization for over a century now. There’s no magic pill – just practice.

I learned my winning strategy when I was young. Now I attribute learning my winning strategy to when I learned how to play piano, sell Girl Scout cookies, and took ballet lessons. 

What do all these have in common? A goal to be achieved through repetition. 

Repetition is about practicing something until it is perfected or becomes an innate way of being. This may be why I understand the power of experimenting. 

As children we learn what’s favorable through experimenting. Olympians do the same as they practice.

As SBOs we learn what’s favorable though experimenting too! We do it with our through tweaking offerings, defining our Ideal Customer, and our price-points. Don’t you do all this? 

But what we don’t commonly do is experiment with our own productivity levels to improve our own performance. Prioritization is a key.

TIP: Prioritizing your focus and schedule to reflect it doesn’t need to be complicated. 

For more than a decade, research continues to reveal we don’t win when we multi-task. Stop it now.

YOUR “Main Thing” Action Item:

Select one thing that will improve your business or your performance if you get it under control. 

Then, get busy making it a priority. Once it’s completed, select another. 

Here’s a great online resource if you want to explore further about “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. 

What’s the first main thing you’re going to make as your main thing? Feel free to share your comments below. 

THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS!
Brilliant Breakthroughs, Inc. 
Making it possible to Simplify Small Business Success!
Call Maggie (262) 716.7750 for YOUR No-cost Consultation

Maggie Mongan, #1 Bestselling Author
Master Business Coach & Trainer for Small Businesses
Brilliant Breakthroughs, Inc.
Direct Dial: 262-716-7750
LinkedIn: MaggieMongan

p.s.:  Create brilliant outcomes through making better decisions in real-time.

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