Squirrel!! An Infusionsoft Expert’s lesson on Prioritization

“Squirrel!” blurted my client in our meeting last week. She used this exclamation to demonstrate how she constantly finds distractions all around her. And as she put it “tends to chase after the next bright and shiny object” that catches her attention.

She was referencing the Disney / Pixar movie, “Up.” Whenever the dogs in the movie would see a squirrel they would:

• Immediately stop what they were doing.
• Yell, “Squirrel!”
• Stare for several seconds.
• Then finally continue where they left off.

Below you will see a video of the scene.

I am an Infusionsoft expert. My job is concentrating on helping users get the most out of Infusionsoft and expertly market their business and automate the process. However, I should mention that I am using the term “concentrating” lightly. I am just as guilty of—“Squirrel!”—tendencies myself that distract me from my goals.

Every day, first thing in the morning I create a list of my top priorities for the day. Typically these tasks include implementing Infusionsoft projects for my customers and for my own business. It’s most important that I keep up with marketing and sales activities, while making myself available to my development team when they need my higher level of expertise.

But all too frequently, sometimes even minutes after looking over my to-do list, I get distracted by something else. Sometimes it’s:
• A phone call that might be pretty important.
• An email that will only take a minute to respond to.
• Something much more fun that caught my attention on the web.

I would like to be able to blame this behavior on my technical, gear head, Infusionsoft expert personality. I’m an engineer, this behavior is innate. But this would be a total lie. Just like my client, I am attracted to bright and shiny objects that distract me from the less fun—but more productive activities of my day. To my credit, I am a very driven business owner. I am always searching for ways to better myself and my business. I require that my team and I be on the cutting edge of everything in our industry.

But the distractions I find for myself and a tendency to start lots of projects, both big and small, and never finish them can stall my productivity.

I know that I am not alone in this. I have several clients that not only hire me for my Infusionsoft expertise, but also use me as a project leader that will keep them focused on their goals. Together, we list priorities that are updated weekly. Then a few days later I will receive an email that proves they are not focusing on the goals we set. This kicks me into coaching mode. I have to remind them of the value we will get if we do the activities we set out to complete.

The first step I have found that gets me back on track, is admitting that I have a problem with this. (I know this must sound like a twelve step program.) So this is me coming clean to you and my project coordinator (she reads and reviews my posts). This is super important. You need to ask for support and accountability from those around you. It truly does help.

Share your to-do-lists, goals, and priorities with those around you. Empower them to challenge you and your team to complete everything you set out to do. I must throw in that sometimes priorities do need to change. I am not promoting rigidness just for the sake of it. But I have found that 80% of the time I am not following the tasks I set for myself it’s simply because I am chasing the next bright and shiny object—Squirrel!—and sabotaging my goals.

Hope you find this useful.