Do you tend to get distracted easily and chase ‘shiny things’? Are you full of ideas, but others struggle to keep up? Are you worried you may miss an opportunity so you try to capitalize on them all? If so, you may be a Nutty Entrepreneur… that’s okay, I can relate!

Nutty entrepreneurs resemble squirrels at times. Unfortunately, squirrels may not be the most strategic of beasts. Squirrels are decent at survival: They are quick and agile, have enough nuts to last for the winter, and they do it all themselves. The problem is that they aren’t exactly building an empire of nut-filled trees.

Now, being a little nutty, or “squirrelly” if you like, is not always a bad thing. Your amazing vision, drive and responsiveness is likely what drives you and allows you to be the successful person you are. Entrepreneurs tend to be wired differently, collecting every spectacular nut or exciting idea they come across.

Many entrepreneurs are quick and agile, chasing every great idea like an energetic and enthusiastic squirrel – they can change priorities quickly and adapt fast. While this agility is a great asset, it can create a lack of focus by distracting entrepreneurs from their big goals. This constant change also makes them very challenging to follow. Sound like any entrepreneurs or people you know? I know I have been personally guilty of these behaviours at times in my career. I wanted to do it all and I wanted it done NOW!

I have been an entrepreneur for 21+ years now and I spend most of my time surrounded by other entrepreneurs. My primary focus now is helping leaders stay focused by helping them implement EOS™ (Entrepreneurial Operating System). So, don’t worry, I’ve seen it all!

Entrepreneurs must rise above this “squirrelly” mentality and focus on a handful of priorities. Some people are more prone to squirrel-like behaviors than others. That even means saying NO sometimes – yes, it’s possible! Regardless, if you aren’t clear on your priorities, you are likely wasting precious time and energy. As entrepreneurial companies, time and energy are incredibly valuable, wasting them is potentially disastrous.

Even if you aren’t prone to chasing shiny things, everyone can benefit from an ability to focus on the big priorities. Stop “squirrelling around” and get down to business with these tips:

  1. Determine your ‘Sweet Spot.’ Determine what your company does best and why you do it. We call this Core Focus – your vision and mission statement if you will. It’s actually already there if you dig, you just have to call it out. Once clear, this becomes your filter or guiding mechanism for your decisions.
  2. Get a pulse on your business. Find 5-15 numbers (or measurables) that are leading indicators for your business, they will predict the future health of your company. We call this a Scorecard. These are activity-based numbers that, if you get them right, will ultimately give you a ‘pulse’ on your business. Set weekly goals for these measurables, track the results and obsess over hitting these goals each week!
  3. When everything is important, nothing is. Set 3 to 7 most important priorities that must get done every 90 days. In the EOS™ world, we call these ‘Rocks’ or quarterly priorities. If nothing else gets done in the next 90 days, get your Rocks done! Try to minimize the distractions until after you have your biggest priorities are complete. This will create more stability, so you and your team can focus on the most important things.

Confucius said, “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” So, let’s move our companies forward, one ‘nut’ at time (referring to our Rocks, not people, of course).

Speaking of nuts, we will discuss working with challenging people in a future blog post.

Want to learn more? I can help you focus on your priorities, allowing you to achieve greater success through EOS™ Implementation. Let’s book a time to chat. Or you can download the EOS™ Tools for FREE.

This blog is a work of passion for me. I LOVE helping leaders create powerful transformation in their business and their lives. What better way to share the many lessons I have learned from 21+ years as an entrepreneur? If you like what you read today, be sure to sign up to receive updates and future blog posts… and feel free to share this with your friends!

Chris Jones is a seasoned, award-winning entrepreneur who gets a serious charge out of helping leaders navigate their way through powerful, transformative growth in their business and ultimately, their lives. He is a full time, Certified EOS™ Implementer.

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