Don’t Blame The Distractions, Improve Your Focus By Jolanta Piela

As a leader, you are on the frontline all the time. People come to you when they need your advice when there is a problem when things are going wrong and need your attention. And each and every person that reaches you doesn’t matter if it’s your client, member of the team, business partner, someone that wants to make a deal with you, someone asking for advice will consider his/her issue as the most important.

If you are overwhelmed and tired (which is of a high probability), you will believe them. You will want to satisfy them. You will want them to feel heard and taken care of. And then, you will be approachable at all times, through all media channels, every hour, every day. The sooner you learn that the way you treat your time soon becomes the way others treat it, the happier, healthier, and more efficient you will become. 

Also, don’t blame the reality, improve your mental selfdefense and energy-saving system. In this article, the president and founder of Good Division Jolanta Piela emphasises the role of having a “proper approach” to your own vital energy as a leader, and shares a few tricks that will help you when you are about to lose rhythm and feel overwhelmed.

Remember why you are doing the things that you do

What is your ultimate goal, what is your mission, what kind of legacy are you building? Sense of creating something of a long-term value helps you stay positive along the way when things get tough and lets you realise that any pain or suffering is only temporary.

Don’t check on your phone every few minutes

If you are both a leader and a salesforce of your enterprise, you probably get a lot of messages through dozens of applications. This can be really dangerous, both physically and mentally. Detach yourself from the device, don’t make checking on your social channels morning and evening routine. There are always gonna be some unanswered messages, unanswered questions, unsolved problems. You need to accept that and learn to focus on that in the time you devote to social media interactions. 

Mind your self-talk

Be careful with the words you use. Words are energy. They become your actions. If you describe your situations as you are “trapped” or “exhausted” or “they won’t give you space” – do you feel more powerful or less? Do you feel in charge? Or you feel more like a victim? Do you feel like you can do something about it, or you’re just going this downward spiral? Your words are your biggest allies or enemies – depends on how you use them. Use them to your advantage.

Stay away from negative people

Stay away from people who see problems in every situation, who describe challenges as unsolvable obstacles. These kinds of people consume your energy and give nothing in return. Observe your reactions to people you have contact with. Who is making you feel more empowered? Who makes you happy? Who does just the opposite? Trust your gut, energy doesn’t lie.

Do things that are difficult, unpleasant, cause discomfort but are necessary

Nothing consumes energy as much as unsolved matters, loops of unfinished affairs that keep popping out and you try to avoid them. Each time you avoid things that need to be done your self-esteem suffers, you feel like you can’t trust yourself, you lower your own standards and you feel less entitled to require more from others. It’s a vicious circle. As Jocko Willink says “discipline equals freedom”. In every area: business, sports, diet, learning, leading, finance. 

It’s all in your hand. You can choose the attitude of a leader/owner or a victim that depends on whatever happens. Which of these is more powerful? Which of these supports your own need to rest well, to take care of yourself, to learn, to embrace your dreams about your business, your life direction, your legacy? You know the answer. Notice that trap, learn from it and use it to your advantage.