Keep your eye on the ball; pay attention to the road; stay focused on the goal; focus, people, focus.  After a time cliches become meaningless.  We know what they mean literally, but we don’t take them much to heart after the 15th time we hear them.

I'm the one with the orange helmet

I went for a mountain bike ride on my 50^th birthday (quite a few years ago) and learned the hard way that the bike goes in the direction you are looking–it actually steers itself to whatever you are eyeballing!  My friend and I got to a section that required some concentration, but instead of looking at where I wanted to go, I looked at what I was trying to avoid.  In the desert we have these narrow gullies caused by rain runoff that turn in to a cement-like structure–that’s where I did not want my tire to go.  Of course the more I looked at it the closer I got to it until finally I was in the gully and then no longer on my bike.  It was a spectacular endo (technical term for head over heels) that resulted in some serious damage–to me, not the bike.

I still think about that when I ride and something dangerous catches my eye–I immediately look away.  So what’s the point?  I’m finding for me it’s about where I want to go in my business.  I’m looking for some larger accounts that will enable me to breathe easier, at least in terms of income, if not work load, so I’ve begun to focus my energy and my sights on very specific goals.  Guess what?  I’m starting to go in that direction!  Now I have to keep the vision of what I want and not get distracted by what if; it’s not possible; you can’t be serious; you’re kidding, right?

So what other activities are out there for us to learn from (but perhaps in a less painful way)?

Posted by Jan Schwartz