Being Present and Beating Distractions

Be presentLast weekend I took my 13 year-old daughter on a father-daughter trip. For the weekend I made a commitment to myself to turn off and not check my devices (phone, tablet, etc.), and asked my daughter to do the same. It was hard for both of us on the first day but by the end of the weekend, we saw a 180 degree change in the depth of our conversations to a type we’ve never previously had. We were truly being present with each other and it showed.

Distractions From Not Being Present

Last week I did a talk for a small group of CEOs. During my talk, the chair of the group texted one of the members who was in the room. When the member’s phone vibrated, the member exposed the chair saying, “I thought we weren’t supposed to use technology during the speakers!” It stopped my talk but we discussed it with the group as an example of how distractions are created by not being present.

At EOS we say “less is more”. With goal setting, it is 3-7 goals, and 3 is better than 7. Stephen Covey says if you have 3 goals you will most likely accomplish 100% of them. If you have 7, you will probably get 2 complete. This is all about focus.

Being Present and Focus Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

Time and again this truth is proven, whether with family or in business. We get more done and build better and deeper relationships when we remain present.

When are you not present and not focused? With a colleague? With a family member?

So I leave you with a challenge: pick a person with whom you will be present for the next week. When you are with them, disconnect from everything else. Yes, harder than it sounds but like with my daughter, the rewards are well-worth the effort.

Next Steps:

 

Related Posts

Finding Your Team’s GWC™ Flow Channel

Having the right people in the right seats is essential to your organization’s success. GWC (Get it, Want it, Capacity to do it) serves as the criteria for determining if a person is operating within their true skill set. But how does GWC work over time? That’s where finding your team’s GWC Flow Channel comes in.

Read on »

The Key to Business as Usual (BAU)

Scorecards are often a highly undervalued tool. Plus, it can be hard to develop a good one. In reality, it can take months to get it right. Even when you’ve nailed it, you will still want to review it every 90 days to make sure it gives you data that you can use to make better business decisions.

Read on »

Subscribe to the EOS Blog

Subscribe to the EOS Blog:

LOGIN TO

Base Camp

LOGIN TO

Client Portal

LOGIN TO

ORGANIZATIONAL CHECKUP

Search the EOS Worldwide Blog

Skip to content