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We have a lot of industry information coming at us at a million miles an hour all day every day. Some of it is really useful, but much of it can simply pull us into an unproductive, emotional whirl.
- Be aware of media focusing on industry news, trends, and techniques, and listen for useful information that will help you achieve your goals.
- Objectively take what you need from the plethora of information, and let the rest go so that you do not become overwhelmed by an emotionally taxing information overload.
- Stay focused on what you need to do. Know what you are working towards, and take care of the most important priorities that will get you there soonest.
Transcript:
Are you getting too emotionally involved?
We have a lot of industry information coming at us at a million miles an hour all day every day, and some of it’s really useful. However, you’ve got to be disciplined to keep it at arm’s length and sift through it, taking those pieces that are relevant to you and then moving on. . .
You’ve also got to ensure that you don’t get caught up in watching what other people have achieved and then getting demoralized because it seems to be taking you far longer, or you think that you just don’t have those particular skill sets. Oftentimes you can compare your third year of being in the industry to someone’s thirteenth year being in the industry and come away from that a little dejected, thinking you’re never going to get there. But just like you, they’ve started somewhere, and they’ve taken time to develop. You’ve also got to be aware that sometimes their highlights are totally irrelevant to where you’re going and don’t need to be factored into the personal journey that you’re on.
I remember when I was warming up at the Olympics in 1988, you would see coaches line up along the side of the pool as their swimmers (some of whom were world-record holders) did 25- or 50-meter warm-up sprints. At the end of the sprints, coaches would loudly call out the swimmers’ supposed times, but what they were calling out were outlandish times! You knew there was no way those swimmers were going that fast, but you’d see other swimmers watching, and you’d see immediately a concerned look on their face when they heard the supposed incredible time. They were concerned because they weren’t taking time to be discerning, and, at the same time, they lost focus on the job they needed to do.
So, to ensure you don’t do this within your business,
- Listen for helpful information. Listen for information that’s going to help you succeed sooner and move you towards achieving your goals even faster.
- Be discerning. Listen to that information, but take from it only what you need most to achieve your goals and objectives. Do not allow yourself to get emotionally involved with the information so that it causes you anxiety, worry or fear.
- Focus on what you need to do. Know your goals and objectives. Know the pathway towards achieving those, and stay focused on those important priorities you need to take care of most. Don’t let the deluge of industry information distract you from what you need to be doing, day in, and day out.
I look forward to bringing you another Distraction-Proof Advisor Idea next week.