When clients approach me for the first time and ask me how I work and what coaching is about, I usually tell them about a metaphor I use: the train tracks. In order to achieve your goals (your destination), you will want to stay focused, keeping both tracks aligned.

When it comes to creating change and achieving an objective that you feel proud of, you will have to work and focus on the two tracks: a tangible and an intangible one.

A tangible change is about creating a concrete action and making things happen:

• make a phone call,
• change your CV on LinkedIn Profile,
• create a roadmap for your project

– anything that gets you into concrete action is a tangible change.

An intangible change is about emotional wellbeing and the fears and beliefs that inhibit you from stepping into action. You spot the need to work on this when you start answering questions as:

• Do my values fit my objective?
• What is in it for me?
• What is holding me back from achieving what I want?

I truly believe that the two rails of tangible and intangible change must be aligned for the train of life to run smoothly.

But not only alignment. The train of life also needs a clearly defined destination.

“If you don’t know where you are going any road can take you there”

Lewis Carroll – Alice in Wonderland

Stay focused: Getting on track

Getting on track means that you work strategically on having a clear destination as well as a strong focus on that objective. This way, you minimize distractions and deviations. Focus and concentration, I would argue, get more and more important these days, as we live in a world of constant distraction and immediate gratification, provided by the internet and the new technologies of the digital age.

Focus also demands loyalty to your objective. It is about bonding and commitment. Without any form of knowing where you go, nor evaluating if you are on the right track, it is difficult to measure progress. Thus, frustration is almost imminent.

The danger here is that you get caught up with investing a lot of energy into something, and, at times, into many things, without necessarily materializing the benefits. That’s why it is crucial to learn how to stay focused on your objective and create tangible actions as well as intangible mindset, aligning the two rails. Read more about changing your mindset here.

“There’s no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A”

Will Smith

Stay focused: Leadership roles

As a manager or director, a few of the challenges you may face in order to stay focused and move your team forward are:

• low commitment
• lack of a clear objective
• difficulty in visualizing the objective at every step of the process
• misalignment between tangible actions and intangible mindset
• search for immediate gratification
• constant distractions of the modern digital age
• failing to follow the progress

To help you navigate through the challenges you may face at work in your leadership role, we create monthly worksheets with simple, yet hands-on 5-min and 10-min activities. Simple exercises help you get on track and stay focused at work. Take a sneak peek below.

We offer these worksheets for free!

Check our full library of practical worksheets here. In our section on Motivation, you can download this month’s Stay Focused Worksheet, with activities to implement right away and practice every day. Browse the library to find extra exercises to improve motivation, lower stress, and increase productivity.