I was talking to my Mastermind Group this week and we got on the topic of staying focused. Two of our members were wondering – When there are so many opportunities out there and so many things I’m interested in, how do I choose which one to focus on career-wise?
I think this is a common problem. With the advent of the internet and our ability now to work from anywhere, there are so many more opportunities for people. Instead of feeling like there are so few options, many people feel like they have too many options. It’s like standing at a buffet line and having too many choices as opposed to too few! I hear this all the time from clients and prospective clients. In some ways, this is a nice problem to have. On the other hand, it can be frustrating.
What has helped me over the years become and remain focused, and achieve my goals, is a constant focus on my personal mission and purpose statement. I was lost for years and jumped around in and out of several jobs, until I took the time to figure out what I wanted my life to be about.
While speaking to my Mastermind members, I kept coming back to “what is your passion and purpose?” Typically a purpose statement isn’t about 5 different things, it’s about 1-2 things. This helps you become focused because you’re looking at 1-2 options, not 5. And who’s to say you won’t tackle the rest of those 5 things later in life! Keep them on your list. But remember that focused attention on 1-2 things will enable you to be more effective at them. If you try to tackle too many things, you run the risk of spreading yourself too thin and not giving 100% to each of those areas.
“What is your purpose?” isn’t a quick, easy question to answer, especially if you don’t think about this kind of thing very much. If someone had asked me this question years ago, I would’ve looked at them with a blank stare. But there are ways to figure it out, like my Unlocking Your Purpose Teleclass. I hope this is helpful, Hallie
Career Coach Hallie Crawford
