Focus and Trust
My husband and I were lucky enough to take a few days off of work so we could have a relaxing cruise on the Chain of Lakes. One day we met up with a friend and his children. The kids wanted to go tubing behind the boat. My husband and our friend took turns driving the boat. I was named designated spotter. The spotter’s job is to watch those on the tube and let the driver know if they want to go faster, slower or stop, or if they fell in the water. The spotter is responsible for the safety and well-being of those on the tube.
If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you should know that I am a recovering Type-A. Part of being a Type-A is also a strong tendency to multitask. I am one of those people who talks on the phone while typing on the computer and also planning my next week’s worth of work. Another tendency for this recovering Type-A is the desire to help other and ensure every job is being handled correctly. Multitasking and sticking my nose into others’ jobs are not good skills when it comes to being a spotter. For the safety of the tubers, the spotter needs to be singularly focused on the tube, singularly focused on those riding the tube. This was a challenge for me.
When we first started out, I instantly became distracted by how the driver was driving, what the other boats were doing on the water, and what the other passengers were doing on our boat. My stress level went through the roof. But the safety of the tubers drew me back. If I was not watching them, no one else was. I relaxed into my sole task of watching those on the tube. I released any desire to try to control or be involved with the other things going on around me. That was not my responsibility or job. I had to trust the driver to do his best. I had to trust the other boaters to be courteous. I had to trust the other passengers to take care of themselves. Those were not my concerns. My one and only concern was the safety of the tubers.
This was a really amazing experience for me on many levels. I noticed how the distractions around me affected my ability to be a good spotter, and how releasing the other tasks to others freed me to do my job better. I learned how I needed to trust those around me to do their part. I needed to release the responsibility I felt for making the whole “project” work well and focus on ensuring that my part of the whole was executed as well as a I could. And I noticed how my stress level went to zero as I only did what I was meant to do.
Where in your business do you need to be more focused? What distractions do you need to release? What team members and partners do you need to trust more to handle their part? Where do you feel stressed and how can focus and trust lessen that stress?
Are you ready to release control and find power in being a Type-ME?
