One of the very common themes I come across when coaching my clients is the challenge of staying focused on the IMPORTANT at work. With so many "balls in the air" these days, the "magnetism" of the constant email "bell," the drop-bys in your office, the ringing telephone and the many distractions common to all of us, most busy professionals have a very hard time focusing their efforts on the things that are truly most important -- those things that are the highest and best use of their time.

Focusing on the Important = Maximizing Your Value
Maximizing Your Value = High Impact Results
High Impact Results = Career Success AND Job Security

Given the above, consider the following tips, ideas and suggestions for helping you to stay focused on the important during your day-to-day work-related activities:

• Identify the Important Things. What are the things that represent the highest-and-best use of YOUR time -- the things that represent activities that YOU DO BEST and move you clearly in the direction of accomplishing your key goals and objectives? Make note of those things and keep that list visible, review it often and adjust it as necessary based upon changing situations and circumstances.

• Schedule the Important Things. Put the important things on your calendar. Schedule adequate time for those things AND schedule adequate advance prep time when necessary. The key here is NOT to overload your calendar with too many important things...be reasonable and realistic.

• "Protect" the Important Things. Once you've scheduled your highest-and-best use activities, develop the habit of protecting those things. When possible, establish routine and rhythm around your important activities. You're much more likely to achieve protection when you operate within the framework of routines and "standing" scheduled times. Important things are also easier to protect if you leave adequate "cushion" in your schedule for other activities.

• Say "No" More Often. As uncomfortable as it is for many of us, learning to politely say no, is a wonderful habit to practice and cultivate. Saying "No" is a confidence builder and strengthens your personal power. Do you REALLY need to attend that meeting? Is it really important that you attend that event? How important is the activity to your key goals and objectives? Learn to evaluate requests for your time against your goals and challenge yourself to consider the benefits.

• Delegate Aggressively and Completely. If we truly take a hard look at ALL of the things we do that take us away from the important, we can all identify things that could and probably should be done by someone else. Challenge yourself to maintain a mindset of always asking -- "Who else could do this in my place?" Delegating more benefits you and many times represents a development and learning opportunity for someone else. View delegation as a favor to someone else.

• Plan Weekly, and Reflect/Adjust Daily. I've written previously about the importance of weekly planning. Planning is the foundation for enabling you to focus on the important...no if's, and's or but's about it. Your ability to create maximum value and achieve the greatest results will directly correlate with the quality of your personal planning.

• Tally Your Results. Results WILL manifest if you focus on the important consistently. It's up to you -- it's a choice YOU make on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis. CHOOSE SUCCESS.