That Tricky Focus Thing

In his evergreen book of ideas, “Ready for Anything,” coach and management consultant David Allen has a chapter that addresses this issue of focus. In it he writes,

“If you want different results, a change of focus is required. Once you shift the image held in your mind, different things will automatically start to happen. Focus on red, red shows up. Focus on a different outcome for a conversation, and different thoughts will come to you. … Your brain has a built-in mechanism for finding patterns you’ve programmed because of where you’ve put your attention. Solutions, innovations, and success come not from greater intelligence or creativity but from what we notice because of where we point those attributes.”

Sounds great, powerful — and simple. Unfortunately, this mental wiring he describes has a flip side. If you focus on what you don’t want, that’s what will tend to show up too. You’ve heard the saying, “Be careful what you ask for because you’re likely to get it.” That’s literally true. Your outcomes will follow your focus.

The Hidden Image Connection

As you ponder this, there’s another thing to consider. What you choose to focus on is part of your inner self, or what we call Hidden Image. This is the “you” others can’t see. It includes your values, motivations, beliefs, ethics, confidence, self-esteem, abilities and attitude. These foundational traits help govern what you do and what you pay attention to (i.e., what you focus on).

For example, if you believe in your potential for success and are motivated to achieve your goals, you’re more likely to focus on ideas and actions that will lead to success. If your self-esteem is low and you believe everything you try will eventually lead to failure, then you’ll tend to focus on things that will confirm this. Of course, life throws everyone curve balls and you can’t just think your way to professional bliss. But your inner self has a significant influence on your experiences and outcomes. (See our October 2024 article, “Influence and Your Inner Self,” for more about the Hidden Image/inner self.)

The Practical Side

So what does all this mean in practical, daily reality at work? What should you do with this understanding of how your brain and inner self work?

1) Focus on the Positive – Put your focus on the positive outcome you want to achieve, not on what you want to avoid. We live in an electronic world that is constantly bombarding us with negativity and fear, so this isn’t easy to do. But continually focusing on the positive can become a mental habit that supports your efforts for success.

2) Be Clear – Stop, take a deep breath and think things through. (Another thing that can be hard to do in a hectic world!) Be clear about what you want to accomplish. This includes everything from your smallest actions (e.g., send a confirmation message to a customer/client) to your broadest goals (e.g., get a new job by the end of the year).

3) Identify Specific Next Actions – To accomplish a positive goal you’ll have to take many individual actions that will gradually move you in the right direction. Rather than just randomly doing things that might sort-of work, be intentional and identify specific steps. If you’re like many of us and aren’t sure what those steps should be, ask someone to help you figure out a game plan.

4) Enlist Others – If you’re in a leadership role and it’s appropriate, share your focus with your team. Encourage them to join you in achieving collective goals. Help them identify and then act on what they’d like to focus on.  

5) Write it Down – Finally, you already know this powerful idea. As you identify specific tasks you want/need to do, write them down. Get your daily, weekly and monthly to-do’s out of your brain and down in some form — on paper or electronically. Then keep them in front of you during the day. Your brain is easily cluttered by trying to remember details, and this will get in the way of your ability to focus clearly. Writing things down is a reliable way to track specific actions and also identify your overall progress. (And, yes, there’s something deeply satisfying about checking things off lists!)  

If you’d like help clarifying your focus for the year, your goals or your professional progress, contact us here.