Entering the Focus Zone

The Twilight Zone was an American TV series debuting in the late 1950s. For arguably the first time, it fused different competing genres to introduce its audience to themes of horror, science-fiction, drama, comedy, and superstition. As this example shows, in its day, it was indeed bizarre and spooky.

I think much can be learned for its writer and host, Emmy Award-winner Rod Serling, who turned traditional TV viewing on its head by providing something new, creative and left his audience yearning for more.

Is your business providing something new and creative? And are your customer’s yearning for more of what you’ve got?

It’s doubtful that it is, but it’s possible to achieve if you’re prepared to enter another zone – what I call the ‘Focus Zone’.

The Focus Zone is a place free of distractions that enables you, as a business owner, to hone in on what truly needs to be done. In my previous blog, I wrote about how other priorities can quickly become your reality if you’re not prepared.

If you’d entered the Focus Zone before these distractions came along, you’d have total control over the situation. It’s impossible to decipher a priority over a distraction if you haven’t put yourself in a quiet zone to focus on what’s actually important.

In fact, I would argue that without entering such a zone you can never truly work ‘on your business’ as so perfectly put by author and business skills training coach Michael E Gerber in his book The E Myth.

It’s from this place that you can make informed decisions and plan for when to act as an entrepreneur, manager or technician. Having previously built (and sold) my first business, I understand the challenges of these competing workers fighting for my attention.

I’ve learned in business that the best way to focus on what really needs my undivided attention is to find my passion for the task. It’s from here that I fully engage and churn out what’s the priority.

Here’s the scoop! I’m currently developing a diagnostic tool that will help owners evaluate where their business is currently at. For me, it’s not hard to find the passion for this because I know from working with several clients that this is exactly what they need.

Working on something that’s truly needed, either for you or your customers, is powerful and it allows you to put the blinkers on and press forward with the task at hand, minus the outside competing forces.

Entering the Focus Zone to plan and prepare is a non-negotiable for me – it should be for you too. It’s where the magic happens.

It sounds corny, and I may even get a gig as a motivational speaker, but in the Focus Zone, I love the feeling of illumination, inspiration, and imagination that produces a panoramic view of new possibilities for innovation for me and my business.

If your next challenge is to grow your business from where it currently is, stepping into the Focus Zone is what you have to do first. How do you know where to grow if you don’t peel back the layers and make the right choice about growth? Pie Face got its aggressive growth plan wrong. It’s an easy mistake to make.

Entering the Focus Zone is not like intermittent feasting. You don’t need to dedicate prolonged periods of time to it. For a little time each day or week, leave all your administrative tasks and daily routine behind. Instead, you must concentrate on the most important task of all—building permanent value into your business.

If that doesn’t provide the energy to function on a higher plane of clarity, creativity, and competence then nothing will.

It’s not all rainbows though. In the Focus Zone, you immediately stare down some brutal realisations, like the fact, your business isn’t all it can be. You’ll see what needs to be done, but are you prepared to do it?

If you answered yes to that question, then here’s what you’ve got to do:

Find your ritual

Everyone has one and they take many forms. I have clients that start their day at 5 am or prefer working long into the night. Find the ritual that works for you and stick to it.

Have a clear outcome

You can’t identify distractions until you have identified what you want/need to achieve. If you don’t, people, problems or situations will quickly take you off course.

Find a creative environment

What does a creative environment look like to you? If you can discover this you can create a space that benefits your needs. Some like music pumping throughout the day, while others prefer a peacefulness that allows time for thought and reflection. Visualise it, then create it.

Get inspired by the awesomeness

Who or what do you find awesome? Surround yourself with the people and things that make you feel great. Family, friends even Tony Robbins. Make a point of engaging with what makes you smile and be positive. Make sure to always block out negativity and anything that holds you back.

Clear your head

Take time to breathe and relax before trying to enter the Focus Zone. In order to focus, your mind needs to be clear. ReachOut.com have a helpful blog about how to practice mindfulness, I encourage you to give it a go.

Create your state

Ultimately to enter the Focus Zone you need to make the choice of what it needs to look like. Make an informed decision of what you need and how you can get there, then create that state.

Go forth and prosper

Don’t be dishearted if you don’t enter the Focus Zone straight away. To be truly focused and committed to achieving your goals takes time. Allow at least 30 minutes to get into the flow.

Some people pay huge sums of money to have gurus ‘teach’ them the secrets to high human performance and productivity. It doesn’t need to be so hard or expensive.

If you can understand the clear intent in doing something, find the passion for doing it, avoid all distractions and apply the steps above you can enter the Focus Zone.

For here, you’ll start smashing through the business priorities you’ve identified and this will enable your business to go from good to awesome.