When you’re trying to grow your business it’s very tempting to look at every new opportunity that comes your way. You know, shiny object syndrome. But one hallmark of good strategy is focus. And it takes discipline to stay focused. It’s a lesson I learned when I was a kid on the farm.
Back then and before the advent of affordable weed killers, we had to “walk the beans” to cut the weeds out by hand. Usually, each person in the crew weeded 2 rows: one on the left and one on the right. When your row got easy -a spot in the field with very few weeds- it was tempting to reach over and cut a weed or two a few rows over. But invariably if you did that, you’d walk right by weeds in your own row. Dad told me not to do it, we did it anyway, and then he’d point to the weeds we missed in our own row and make us walk them again.
Losing focus on what we were supposed to do invariably costs us. Same with strategy. Strategy is meant to bring focus to what you are suppose to be doing to achieve your goals. Distractions -those things beyond your strategy- divert your attention and cost you time, money, and resources.
Develop your strategy for growth. Let it focus you. Then stay focused.
Hoe your own row.
