A recent study of senior executives revealed this fact about leadership performance:  77% revealed that they had trouble staying focused on their work in front of them.  They admitted to being distracted during the day.  Sadly, I don’t find this measurement surprising – do you? Distraction is a big problem for productive workers.

Are you willing to develop the power of your focus in order to cultivate higher than average performance?  What would it be worth to be judged as “highly focused and highly productive” by the people you work with? Could it be worth an extra $100,000 per year? Or more?

I think that focus and clarity are contributors to executive success.  They are foundational skills.  Executives are paid for getting things done.  An executive without focus is not delivering what is expected of him.

Here are a few suggested disciplines to help you jack up your focus power.  If you do these things, your value at work will increase.  You will be paid more, and you will enjoy life more.

Say NO to distractions.  You have the power to eliminate many of the distractors in your life.  Turn off computer chimes for incoming mail. Ask not to be disturbed during your most productive hours.  Put phone calls on voice mail retrieval.  Give yourself a block of time in which you will not turn to distractions, and tell others around you that this is critical work performance time to you.  

Be good to your word. Dedicate the block of time to productive work.  When the time is over, let people back into your life (if they still need your attention).

Set a goal of what you are achieving. I like to write 350 words, once that is done, I know: I have created intellectual capital.  That’s my goal, and I can reward myself with something distracting – at least for a little while.  Be very clear on a goal that is meaningful to you – preferably a goal that can be accomplished within 90 minutes.

Will Power:  Back to work.  Return to work.  I do this all the time – and if you think about what this means, then you’ll realize too, that I spend time in the land of distraction.  Don’t beat up on yourself, don’t add drama to your life.  Just return gently, and with determination back to your focus.  Use your goal as a target.  You can do it, even if you make many mid-course corrections. Praise yourself for returning to your target, and adopt a friendly, forgiving attitude for the part of your mind that takes you away from focus.

Apply your goal focus consistently.  If you want to be a more effective person, then increase the amount of time that you work in clarity, and within the realm of your goals.  Once you have achieved some goals, then take the opportunity to be proud of what you have already done – celebrate your focus.  Tomorrow will come soon enough, and you can build the success behavior of staying focused day by day.

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Be a leader. Use imagination, career experience, and awareness of your world. Take action.

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