Results Thinking for Clarity and Direction

How do you know where to direct your attention today?

Without clarity, direction, and purpose, you are at the whim of the moment. With emails, text messages, voicemails, memos, meetings, and multiple projects, few of us are short on demands.

We don’t need more things to consume our time; time consumption is the nature of business. We do, however, need ways of aligning with a higher purpose, more meaningful goals, and greater levels of ingenuity.

Without clear strategy and direction, all of these vital aspects of business growth are stunted. Our minds are intrinsically wired for activity, not meaningful results. Finding and maintaining clear direction in your work isn’t complicated, but it does take discipline and training.

A 2008 FedEx Office national survey found that roughly 50% of those questioned said that work/life balance will be increasingly important in the years ahead. Amazingly, 42% of those questioned said they plan on improving their work/life balance by creating weekly to-do lists. As personal development coach Tony Robbins points out, to-do lists are dangerous. To-do lists wrap you in an endless cycle of activity without necessarily moving you towards any meaningful results.

Instead of simply creating a weekly to-do list for your business activities, start each week with a personal results planning session. Block off 15 minutes at the beginning of each week; devote this time to gain clarity and direction.

Start with questions like: What results are most important for me to achieve or make major progress on this week? Where do I need to invest my time? What projects are most important to my performance, my sense of fulfillment, and my overall business?

This line of questioning will help pull you out of the demands of the moment and open your mind to the “bigger picture.” Be sure to capture all the ideas that come to mind without judgment.

After prioritizing your answers, look at each key result you’ve identified and ask: What has to happen to achieve this result? What conditions need to be in place to realize my objectives? What is the critical next step?

Finally, block off time in your calendar—not to do a specific action item or to-do, but to make progress in realizing the results you want.

This process won’t take long and you’ll get faster at this results-oriented brainstorm with more practice. Review the prior week’s plan and craft an updated plan at the beginning of each week.

When you arrive at your desk, instead of jumping right into your email or checking your voicemail, ask these vital questions and commit to finding quality answers. Invest a few minutes in this self-reflective mindset. It won’t take very long before you begin to reap the benefits of your newfound clarity and direction.

Related posts:

1. A Vital Hour
2. Finding Moments of Clarity
3. The Death of To-Do Lists and the Birth of Creativity
4. Wheel of Business