Tuesday at 2:00pm with Russ

It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)

Greetings to you!

Each week I send out a short leadership blog that's called "Tuesday at 2:00pm". The purpose of this is simply to provide a brief thought on leadership that you can read and think about in just a few minutes. I send it out every week at 2:00pm (PST) and encourage you to make an appointment with yourself to pause and think about the thing I'm writing about.

Russ...

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"I don't focus on what I'm up against. I focus on my goals and try to ignore the rest." Venus Williams

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're talking about FOCUS this month.

This quote from the tennis legend Venus Williams is so appropriate for all of us.

I fall prey to this so often... When I'm overwhelmed, I tend to focus on what is coming at me or what seems to be the most urgent instead of staying true to the priorities and goals that I've defined as being the most important.

It's the Tyranny of the Urgent and this is the opposite of FOCUS... it's DISTRACTION.

Here are 3 tips to keep your GOALS in front of you:

#1) Literally, PUT THEM IN FRONT OF YOU.

Print them out, put them in your journal, stick them to your mirror. Be reminded of them regularly simply because you can easily see them.

#2) SCHEDULE YOUR GOALS

When you look at the day or week ahead of you, make appointments with yourself to work on your goals. Carve time out and protect it in your schedule. If you don't, it's impossible to move on them!

#3) SHARE YOUR GOALS WITH OTHERS

Invite some people close to you to ask you about your goals, to encourage you with your goals and to hold you accountable. Knowing that someone is going to ask you is the greatest form of accountability!

If you can do this, it's a practical step towards focus as you keep them front and center in your life and schedule, it will make it more difficult to abandon them.

Are you doing any of these three things? Why not all three?

DEEPER STILL:

I'm a part of a Convene Forum. This is a group of local CEO's that gather together monthly to learn from each other, to challenge each other and to work issues together. In my Forum Group, I'm the only Non-Profit Leader, and I so value the input, advice and insight I receive from these leaders.

Each year, we identify 4 - 5 Goals (Personal, Work, Family, Faith) and we put them on our name card, and each month, when we sit down, our goals are there for us to see, and for everyone else to see.

I have been asked by people in the group how I'm doing, and sometimes we report on our progress.

It's become a great way to be reminded on a regular basis of a few of the goals I have chosen to share with this group. It's been good accountability, it's created good conversations, and I've been challenged as I see their goals and learn about their progress.

This week, I will submit my 5 goals for 2025 and they'll show up on my Name Tent Card at our next Forum Meeting.

I'll share ONE of my goals with you here, and I challenge each of you to do the same:

Russ' 2025 #3 Goal: To Personally Impact and Engage with 100 Non-Profit/Ministry CEO's/Leaders in 2025, Resulting in Measurable Impact.

Think about ONE Goal you can share with someone this week, inviting accountability, interest, prayer support and encouragement.

 

Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:

Source: www.leadermundial.org