Are You Focusing on the Right Things? | By Ruby McGuire

When you have entrepreneurial flair, the problem with being in business isn't having new ideas. It's having way too many ideas and not knowing where to start. And then when you do start, it's not knowing how to stay focused - and allowing yourself to be taken off track.

Social media is a great place for distraction. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with social media. It's an amazing tool for business (I wouldn't be in business without it) but it's such a huge drain on your time.

You can also be easily distracted by the illusion of what success is, and what you can actually create. There are lots of "Follow My Blueprint" messages out there, but sadly there is no specific blueprint.

Every business is unique - with particular things that need to be done to create success. And while there are things you need to do that have been tried and tested, there are also things you don't need to do. As one of my business friends says, "Everything you do in business is an experiment".

The problem is, as business owners, sometimes we like to experiment a bit too much! There are so many fun things you can do in business. And because you don't have a big boss breathing down your neck, there is the potential to go off in a million and one different directions.

So how do you stop that butterfly brain of yours from being distracted by shiny things?

Here's my 3 Top Tips to Focus on the Right Things:

TIP 1) Focus On Action Producing Money (APM)

One of the best pieces of advice I was given in the very early days of setting up my business was to focus on Action Producing Money. I now call this APM for short.

Now some things are easy to quantify, others not so much. Will being consistently visible on one of the social media platforms create money? Only time will tell. But if you're starting to get sign ups to your lists and more people are finding out about you, then you're going in the right direction.

Some things are slow builders in your business, and you just need to keep being consistent. You also need to give yourself time to test ideas to make sure they are working. We often give up way too soon - and we over-complicate things. Doing the basics 'on repeat' is what creates the bigger successes.

It's easy to sit and brainstorm a list of things to do. If you're anything like a lot of my clients (and me!) you have a 'To Do' list as long as your arm. The important thing is to make sure they are the right things to do - and that you're not just doing them because someone else thinks they are a good idea.

It's about doing less, and working smarter with the time you are working.

Action: Run all of your tasks through the APM filter. Ask yourself, "Is this action producing money?"

TIP 2) Stop The Hustle

Have you bought into the stories that you can build a six figure business overnight? What this can do is make you want to hustle all the time, which quite frankly is exhausting. You end up constantly chasing the next new 'secret' that's going to help your business grow exponentially.

Make sure you've given yourself enough time to recharge. Hustle for a while - keeping a good solid focus - and then slow down so that you get a good balance.

There are times when the hustle needs to be real. For example when you're launching something new in your business, and you need to put the hours in to pull it off. But long term hustle isn't sustainable.

Or maybe you've bought into the story that there is so much competition out there that you can't possibly create success. Well, you can create success, you just need to keep taking consistent steps. There are plenty of people out there to become clients for you. When you worry about the competition you can end up closing down ideas, or trying so many different things without waiting to see if things are working.

Action: Create a balance between solid focus (aka hustle) and slowing down, so you find a good balance. That way you won't hit burnout.

TIP 3) Stop Doing Everything Yourself

You can't be the coach, the marketing department, accounts department, salesperson - and everything else in between - without it impacting your focus and productivity.

Getting more focused is knowing when it's time to give the job over to someone else. Sometimes you're just not the person to do that job.

If you hand over even a few hours of a project to someone else, it will free up your time to focus on the things that you need to do/excel at, such as bringing in new clients and your coaching.

Now if you're a control freak (I know I am!) then that can be challenging. But as you start to outsource even the tiny things, you free yourself up to doing jobs that are important. It goes back to Tip 1) Action Producing Money.

So, if you're spending 3 weeks updating something on your website because you're being stubborn, instead of outsourcing it to someone that can do it in 2 hours, then you're effectively costing yourself money! I made this mistake when I was doing a website many years ago. How many clients could I have served in those 3 weeks? How many conversations could I have had that might have led to clients? How much unnecessary stress did I add to my life?

Action: Make a list of all of the tasks you're doing and ask yourself the following:

• Do they really need to be done?
• Do I need to be the one to do them?
• Can I park them for a later date?

Wrap-up

So there you have it. Three simple ways to focus your butterfly mind.

Will it be easy? Well, if you're anything like me, you'll be a constant work in progress. But have a go. You might surprise yourself with just how focused you can be.

Which tip resonates most with you? Share with us in the comments below - I'd love to hear from you.

Finally, check out her Visibility Quiz, where you can find out just how visible you really are!

You May Also Like:

• The Secret To Focus also by Ruby McGuire
• 10 Key Qualities You Need to BE - to HAVE a Successful Coaching Business from Emma-Louise
• Holding The Focus with Clients *AUDIO Podcast* from Ben Dooley

Contributing Author:

Ruby McGuire is a Business & Mindset Queen. She's an Accredited Master Coach & Master Mentor with the IAPC&M, Trainer, Inspirational Speaker and Author of multiple books. She loves helping her clients step up and become leaders (aka Queens) of their businesses. She helps her clients develop their leadership and business skills, create a success mindset and attract dreamy clients. She is a Brit on a mission to live a simpler life without marketing on social media so that she can spend more time in her beautiful Scottish surroundings. You can find her at her pretty online home, over on her podcast show, Rock Your Fabulous Biz, and here where she shares her Mini Guide to Marketing Without Social Media. When she’s not working you’ll find her surrounded by books, making hand-made cards, and enjoying life with her hubby, little dog and chickens (usually with a Whittard Vanilla cappuccino in her hand)!

Learn more about Ruby & see all their articles here >>