The Devil in the Details...

PAY ATTENTION!!!!

As a parent, I say it only about 100 times a day. As an inspector/maintainer, they were words to live by. As a business owner, if you don't pay attention, just hang it up now. As a marketing director, it's the numbers that need attention. No matter how you slice it, focus drives success... prove me wrong. In today's ridiculously paced world, maintaining focus is easier said than done, so how does one go about re-aligning said focus? Let's figure it out together, shall we...

Back to Basics

Getting back to what makes you "YOU" is the perfect place to start when it comes to getting focused. Many times, people feel that in order to keep focused on the details of their success that they need to be the studious type. Anyone who knows me, knows I am NOT a good student... in fact, I fucking HATED school, a lot! So, when I need to focus, I bring myself back to what works, which is finding my goals within a task. At a young age (say 5ish) I started in martial arts, and while I was not a great school student, I sure did like fighting! Finding that niche gave me something to pay attention to. This skill then translated to my schoolwork, to a point anyway. I took little wins in the classroom and allowed them to give me the same feeling I got when I learned a new skill at the dojo. As I got older, I miraculously made it through school and decided to join the military. Military service is a new world for anyone that enters, no matter how many people you know who served. Knowing what to focus on and when is easy at first, considering Training Instructors basically teach you how to blink again. Once training is done, now starts the hard part of learning your AFSC, MOS, or whatever the heck the Navy calls their jobs. The difference here is, now you're playin for points... lives may be at stake, so PAY ATTENTION! Perfecting your craft in the military comes at a cost. Family time suffers, physical health may suffer, mental health will surely suffer... but others may live thanks to your "suffering" and sacrifice. The feeling we get as service members when we learn our craft is like no other. The sense of pride and accomplishment is overwhelming and should be relished. Once you get out/retire, finding that feeling again is not only a goal, but a necessity.

Get "that" feeling

The easiest way to feel accomplished in your field is to be successful... obviously! While there are a million recipes for success, there is one constant rule; details make the deals! "Details make the deals"... "Wade did you just make that up?" Sure as hell did, but it makes sense, doesn't it? As a marketing professional, I need to pay attention to the details within my industry. How are customers finding my company, what are my competitors doing, am I on top of the newest trends in consumership? (is that a word...well it is now) All these tedious little details have allowed us to outpace our competitors during a slow winter, and will help us rocket into the spring buying season. By paying attention to my surroundings, any time the phone rings, a customer walks in, or we get an online interaction, I get "that feeling" of accomplishment. It may not seem as crucial as making decisions on the health of a fighter jet, but knowing something I did helped further a business, and possibly put food on a coworker's table is still a great thing! So what gives you that feeling? Are you a photographer that looks through 10,000 shots to get the perfect one for your client? Sure you could have just picked one... but you picked the "perfect" one. What got you there? The details, that's what! Are you a CEO/President of a large company? Why is your company making millions? I'm willing to bet there were many sleepless nights going over minute details... that's why! Hard work, detail hunting, and forcing perfection to the absolute best of your ability drives success.

The Tie-in

Leaders... you've paid attention, you've gotten back to the basics of you, and you've found what gives you that feeling... now what? Now, you tie it all into the package that you want to deliver to the world. Use this self-research as the business plan to your success. Most of all, and least mentioned, is ensuring to care for you. If you don't take care of #1, none of this means shit! Much of what I say revolves around a business mindset, but if you read between the lines, it's much more than that. This is personal. This is life. We live in an ass backwards society that lives and breathes for money and work, and while I do believe that money can in fact buy happiness to some degree, it can also consume and ruin you... trust me, been there, seen it, lost the T-shirt.

The details of what you do, who you are, and how you move forward will determine your success... again, prove me wrong. Folks, if you've made it this far, know that I am always available. Nobody needs to comb through all these details along. Sometimes a little kick in the ass is just what it takes. Whether it's personal or professional, reach out... if not to me, to someone you trust!

Cheers,

W