Don’t Lose Sight of the Big Picture

It is so easy to slip into a producer mode of head down, isolated activity during the holiday season. We panic (or is it just me?) over all the items that need to get done by December 25. With all the gifts to buy, dinners to attend, and parties to host, we can get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we lose sight of the big picture.

For our family, the big picture of Christmas is being together to celebrate its purpose: the birth of Jesus Christ. Whenever I get bogged down in the day-to-day activities associated with the holidays, I adjust my focus towards the big picture. This helps me forge ahead with a better feel for the purpose of the season.

Business is no different. (more…)

“If you forget about the big picture, you’ll be a slave to the day to day.”

A slave to the day to day. Does that sound like today? Maybe this week? We all have those times every now and then when we feel like all we do is put out fires. However, unless you’re a firefighter, spending every day in reaction mode isn’t going to get you closer to your big picture goals.

What does slavery to the day to day look like?

Stuck in reaction mode
Feeling busy but unproductive
Task list items always rolling over to the next day, week, month…
Reluctance to commit to deadlines
Activities-oriented instead of results-oriented

How can we stay focused on the big picture:

Vision and goals – Know them and know how what you do supports them.
Make the connection – Track your activities for the day. At the day’s end, identify the goals your activities support.
Prioritize – Do the most critical things early in the day. If you don’t get your entire task list accomplished, you still tackled the most important items.
Focus on results – Ask, “How have today’s activities moved the ball closer to the goal?”

Business is no different. (more…)