Is There an Order for Focus, Persistency and Consistency?
by Gerry Rose, Integrity Networking Solutions,
Business Consultant
 

How is it that two people with the exact same background (education, practical knowledge, life experience) doing the same job can have such drastically different results?  Is it luck?  Maybe the successful person is just in the right place at the right time.  Or maybe it is something else.

This came to me recently while meeting with a number of clients over an extended period of time.  To my amazement, when considering all things, these clients in the same profession, with the same or similar backgrounds, should be doing very well.  They are working in the same markets with the same inside and outside pressures.  Similar pluses and minuses are happening in their lives.  The economy is the same.  Why such a great difference in results?

As a comparison, I have two clients who deal in financial services.  One is so successful that they are branching off into another area to fill their passion.  The other is struggling to make ends meet.  The successful person uses one strategy attracting more clients than they can practically handle.  They are at a point in the financial business where they can pick and choose with whom they want to work.  The other skips from one thing to another, producing little to no new business.  They have every reason known to man for why they do not produce.  Those reasons include family emergencies, personal relationships, and health issues.

Another comparison is real estate.  Why does a new realtor with less than a year in the business sell 20 homes, yet a realtor with five years in the business sell less than 20? 

Both have been exposed to the same “how to” programs.  Both have the same ability to learn.  What is the difference?  The answer is FOCUS, CONSISTENCY, and PERSISTENCY.  This is an old theme with a new tune.  To gain focus, consistency and persistency, we should choose to: 

·        Find a system with a proven track record that has worked for others.
   Find a system that we believe in based on what our head, heart and gut tells us.
   Then choose to follow that system, pushing all obstacles aside.

Back to my realtors.  Once a realtor (or any businessperson for that matter) sees a limit to his or her success, he starts to wander.  He starts listening to anyone who has a new idea.  The next scheme that comes along may mean switching careers, or at a minimum, taking a diversion course.  How about selling a wonderful new technical idea that will not only make me money, but will enhance my existing business?  What this kind of idea does is allow us to lose sight…focus…on the potential real success of our original business.

I liken this to the beagle dog chasing two rabbits.  How many rabbits does the dog catch while chasing two rabbits?  The answer is none!  The same is true in our business.  Gaining focus on one rabbit allows the dog to catch one rabbit.  After he catches one, he can chase the other.

The dog can be persistent, chasing two rabbits; however, he may starve when not focusing on one to catch to eat.  In the same way many of us lose focus of our goal to eat for survival, then to go from survival to ultimately building a business (there is a big difference from survival, paying the bills, to building a business).

The dog can be consistent with the same result, starvation, when focusing on two rabbits.

We find the same with most of those businesses that go out of business after the first year.  It is also true for businesses that fail to produce beyond the first year.

I believe that one must first focus to realize a predetermined level of success (financial or otherwise planned goal) followed by consistent and persistent action to realize our goal.  Following a focused regimen with clearly defined written goals, with consistent and persistent plans of action, will deliver to anyone unlimited business success.