Steve White focus on the real prize uncompromising book
February 8, 2022

The Best Way to Focus on Your (Real) Prize

We all need people in our lives who help us focus on the (real) prize. Sometimes we get distracted by other seemingly beneficial goals when, in reality, they interfere with what’s truly important. That’s okay. Learning how to get back on track is all part of the learning journey. 

About four years ago, I attended a two-week educational program at Harvard Business School. While I was there, I called my wife and asked her to remind me what size my son Stevie was wearing. As I got off the phone, it occurred to me that I wouldn’t buy just one shirt. 

I’d buy ten shirts in different sizes so that when Stevie was five, six, seven years old, and beyond, he’d wear a Harvard shirt. Whether he goes to Harvard or not isn’t the point. The point is that we set expectations and help him focus on a worthy goal of higher education.   

We all need people in our lives who help us focus on the (real) prize. Sometimes we get distracted by other seemingly beneficial goals when, in reality, they interfere with what’s truly important. That’s okay. Learning how to get back on track is all part of the learning journey. 

Join me in this week’s Pathway Countdown with #2:

Focus on the (Real) Prize.

How do you know if your prize is real? You’re often impacting others in a positive way, and the prize in question helps you serve your why. 

Whether you help your son, daughter, friend, or colleague focus, one of the best ways you can support an individual or team is by serving as a “chief repeater.”

If you manage a team, be the caretaker of your team’s objectives and goals by repeating your collective why and starting meetings with your shared vision. Look for ways during the normal course of conversation with your team to restate your joint purpose. 

Emphasize your team’s why on working documents and create guiding principles your staff members can post in their offices. Consistently repeating key messages becomes your verbal and visual armor against distractions. 

Additionally, if you’re focusing on your own why, the same principles apply. I often repeat my why to myself when I reflect on the day ahead or share my purpose with others when the opportunity arises.

Think about your why and the ways you can prioritize it and live it. Get creative and share your reminder online with me by using #whatsyourwhyreminder. Looking forward to your replies.

Live your why,

Steve

P.S. If you are new to my Pathway Countdown, welcome! If you’d like a bird’s-eye view of my pathways, download a handy one-page document. You can also visit my latest posts if you’d like a deeper explanation of each pathway. Enjoy!

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