Over the last several years I have had the privilege of having Focus coach and author Les Hewitt speak into my life as a personal and professional coach, to co-present together and also become good friends. Les co-authored the extremely popular business building and life changing book The Power of Focus along with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, which has to date sold over a million copies.
I remember when Les and I began working together in coaching he said eventually you will just spend your time playing and focus on your strengths and what you enjoy best, and do best and focus only on the activities where you are at your best and the rest we will automate, delegate or remove from my schedule. At the time I thought that was impossible but over the years thanks to his lesson my time, energy and efforts are spent on what I am gifted at and enjoy doing the most.
This week I want to share one of the most important lessons I learned from Les which was the four foundational truths proven to radically change your personal life and real estate business forever. As a business coach, author and professional speaker I’m often asked, “Why is it some people do so well in life—professionally, personally and financially—and yet so many seem to constantly struggle?” It’s a valid and important question. Based on my 30 years business experience and the opportunity to work with literally thousands of clients from a wide variety of industries, the most practical answer I can provide is this. Truly successful people focus on The 4 Fundamentals.
These fundamentals are: GOALS, PRIORITIES, RELATIONSHIPS and HABITS. This is powerful. It’s also simple. Fundamentals, as the name suggests, are time-tested truths that don’t erode when a new “flavor of the month” idea is launched by some self-styled management guru! These principles are thousands of years old; they’re obviously built to last. Any time one of our clients is faced with a crisis, for example, a financial crunch or a new competitor, we have always—and I do mean always— found a solution by focusing on the 4 Fundamentals. Let’s have a look at each of them….
FUNDAMENTAL #1
Focus on your most important GOALS. Question: Do you have a crystal clear picture of what you want and why you want it? The answer is simple, Yes or No. Sadly, for the vast majority of the population, the answer is No—97% by actual survey! Goals provide clarity. If you don’t have an exciting big picture vision for your life, then you may end up in your senior years regretting the life you never had, simply because you never took the time to design it. With the number one challenge for businesspeople today being time pressure, then it would also seem obvious that your goals should be well-balanced. At The Power of Focus Inc. we’ve developed a unique system that guarantees excellent balance. There are 7 areas you as a businessperson needs to find balance in if you want unusual clarity, less stress, more confidence and the excitement of achieving meaningful goals consistently. In no particular order of importance, these are: Business, Financial, Fun-Time, Health and Fitness, Relationships, Personal and Contribution.
FUNDAMENTAL #2
Focus on your most important PRIORITIES. What this really means is, focus on what you do best and let go of the rest. In one of our coaching workshops we have an activity called, Calculating your current level of focus. This means the amount of time you spend in a typical week focused on your strengths, those activities that produce the greatest results. Question: What are the 3 things you do best at work, that give you energy, momentum and most of all, create measurable results? If you can’t answer that question in ten seconds flat, you need to take some time away and really ponder this. Here’s why. Most business leaders (CEO’s, presidents, V.P.’s, Managers and Supervisors) have a level of focus that’s less than 50%. For a significant number of people it’s more like 10-20%! In other words, people in leadership roles allow themselves to be constantly interrupted and distracted, or micro-manage everything so much that the greater portion of their time is wasted every week. Putting out fires and reacting to other peoples “emergencies” is not good leadership.
FUNDAMENTAL #3
Focus on your most important RELATIONSHIPS. To enjoy significant success in life you will need the help of other people. In business we call these Core Clients—people who love your product or service so much they become cheerleaders for you in the process. You may have internal or external core clients, or both, depending on your role in the organization. Focusing on building strategic relationships creates great leverage. Question: Can you name, right now, the five most important relationships you need to cultivate in your business that will create the best opportunity for future success? Again the answer is, Yes or No. Excellent relationships thrive in a win-win environment. This occurs when you constantly add more value and when people trust, respect and genuinely like you. This requires a high level of integrity. It also means you focus on helping others achieve their most important goals. Suspend your own self-interest and you will be handsomely rewarded down the road. Sadly, we observe companies using cut-throat negotiating tactics, providing minimal training or that of the “quick-fix” variety. Well trained people are a company’s greatest asset, especially if the rewards and recognition are shared when victory is achieved.
FUNDAMENTAL #4
Focus on SUCCESSFUL HABITS. The bottom line? Better habits guarantee better results. And results are the name of the game, in business and in life. It’s not what you say, it’s what you DO that counts! Question: Do you have any bad habits? More important question; do you realize the consequences that those bad habits may be creating? Not today or next week, but maybe years down the road, when life hits you like a two by four—wham!! And suddenly you’re facing a financial meltdown, a health crisis or a marriage breakdown. Yes, bad habits have a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it—we’ve seen it with so many people. A lack of awareness, not paying attention to the warning signals or being “too busy” to reflect, are major contributors to their misfortune. Understand, habits are a big deal—they will determine your future. Just creating three or four successful new habits every year can dramatically improve your business, provide financial freedom and ensure excellent health and long lasting relationships. Many thanks to Les Hewitt for sharing these extremely valuable lessons to apply to our personal life, relationships and to catapult our real estate business to the next level.
Strength and courage,
Wade
