In Business, Pick one Thing and . . . Focus on It

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”

~ Zig Ziglar

For small business owners, the balance between working in the business versus working on the business can be difficult to strike. Handling matters that are important, but not urgent for the business can lead to focusing on the wrong things – things that will keep you bogged down in details instead of operating on a large scale, which is what you aspire to do. Owners often find themselves putting out fires or addressing short-term issues. Instead, they should be focusing on actions that will result in long-term growth and profitability for the business.

The to-do list for a business can be overwhelming at times. Not just overwhelming; paralyzing. Making major decisions like ones involving human resource changes, long-term marketing plans, and operational policies and procedures can seem daunting considering how much time and effort is required. So we do nothing or do things halfway, just to get them in motion, but not the way it should be done. We don’t put any processes and procedures in writing. Then, we find ourselves reinventing the wheel each time we have to handle a particular task or to explain something to a staff member. We continue to run the business as best we can. Instead, we should be taking the time to make the best decisions or setting up a system that will have the best outcome down the road.

Our aim is to support and encourage current and aspiring business owners to tackle the critical business matters that tend to keep owners from making sufficient progress. There is a difference between important things and urgent things.

There’s plenty to do, but you’ve got to start somewhere. Pick something. One thing that has been on your “to-do” list for far too long, but is something that you know would make a big difference in your business. Maybe you need to take some time to reevaluate your pricing structure. Maybe you need to sit down and really study your spending and where you can be more efficient with your revenue.

Decide on this one thing, focus on it, get it done, and see the benefits for your business. Then, choose another important task or decision and repeat. Then repeat it again.

The point is this: if you do this one thing – this one important thing, this week, and the next . . . then the next . . . by the end of the year, you will have taken some very significant steps toward building and protecting a thriving business.

This article was inspired by the book The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

Resources

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

By Gary Keller and Jay Papasan