In any activity or endeavor, it is important to build endurance. Endurance can be defined as the ability to focus on the task at hand and bring it successfully to conclusion. Another is “the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way” (Dictionary.com).
Some call it fortitude, others call it strength or stamina. No matter what you call it though, endurance is the ability to persevere and keep going to get the job done.
Usually, when we speak of endurance, we’re referring to physical activity. Yet, endurance is as important in the business world as it is anywhere else.
In business circles, endurance usually takes the form of focus. Instead of physical prowess, it becomes the ability to concentrate successfully on a given task.
Focus is a critical skillset for any business owner, especially in today’s fast-paced world where success often means keeping several equally important balls in the air at one time.
So, how do you focus on multitasking, a situation where, by its very definition, several things are happening at once? Well, you shouldn’t as the key to successful focus is attention.
You may not realize that one task has more attention than the other; think of texting and driving and why accidents occur – more focus is placed on texting and not so much on the driving.
When several things can be happening simultaneously, you need to concentrate on only one thing at a time. This doesn’t mean that you bring one task to full completion before you start on another. Rather, you spend just enough time on a given task to take it to the next stage of development and then you turn your attention to another task.
In some sense, it’s a little like being a mother duck with ducklings. You give your attention to the duckling that is farthest out of line, nudging it forward to where it should be, before you turn your attention to the next little duck. Each duckling gets a measure of your focus, but none gets your full attention all the time. In this way, each task gets moved along in turn, and all are successfully completed in time.
When you have too many tasks, look at getting help, such as with a virtual assistant (VA) or a site like taskrabbit.com so you can focus on the business. Make a list of all you believe you need to get accomplished and due dates; this can relieve stress plus strategize to get the tasks complete.
Doing so will move you forward and give you endurance that will last over the lifetime of your career, and in a more enjoyable way.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” —Confucius
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