Focusing on progress
by Miki SaxonEverybody has what I call three-in-the-morning thoughts. They usually happen when you’re tired or frustrated and your energy is down. That’s when you find yourself wondering if
- it’ll ever happen;
- it’s really worth it—
and it doesn’t even matter what “it” is.
Entrepreneurs and execs in startups and fast moving businesses are especially prone to these thoughts, but everybody has them at one time or another.
It’s like driving across a desert or plain—the horizon never seems to get any closer, so your destination doesn’t either.
Three-in-the-morning thoughts are natural and only cause trouble when they stay in your head and insidiously become the background music to everything you’re doing.
Happily, there’s a fairly easy fix that involves a simple switch in focus.
Going back to the driving analogy, when everything looks the same and it seems that you’re going nowhere, you need to periodically check the odometer to know how far you’ve really come.
The same applies to any “it” that you’re after—periodically you need to focus on how far you’ve come, as opposed to how far you have left to go; you need to focus on what’s been accomplished, not just what still needs to be done.
I’m not saying that you want to sit back and rest on your laurels, or break your arm patting yourself on the back, but you do need to recognize and appreciate milestones achieved or, as on the desert, the trip will feel endless.
But don’t wait until a three-in-the-morning thought happens and you have to climb out of a psychic hole before you do this, just schedule 60 seconds of “it” odometer appreciation time daily until that becomes the background music of your days.
Do it. You’ll be amazed at how this one “little” thing can energize you and jumpstart your enthusiasm.
Then share the wealth and do it for/with your people.
