By Thomas Davis, CRNA, Lt. Col. (ret) USAF
Follow @procrnatom on Twitter
It’s two days before Halloween and today at work people were talking about the fun of having children come to the door for candy. The OR circulator said that she and her family were going to have to keep the lights off this year and felt bad about disappointing the neighborhood children. She went on to explain that several weeks prior, the family decorated the front of the house and bought enough candy to feed the anticipated flock of kids on the big night. The candy was placed into a big tub and ready for the little gremlins. There was so much candy and it looked so good that family members started to dip into the stash. After all, one Milky Way would not be missed. Over the two week period, the candy disappeared and now, two days before the big event, there was not enough left to give away…..so lights out and tough luck for the kids.
How often do similar things happen in our work place? The preparation has been done and resources are available to accomplish a task or achieve a goal. Then, before the deal is closed, those involved lose sight of the goal and squander resources on unrelated whims. When it comes time to bring the project to closure, the resources are gone.
The solution is obvious and easy. Know and commit to the greater goal. Keep your focus on what you truly want to accomplish and when distractions pop up, ask yourself whether or not your behavior is in alignment with your goal. The nurse and her family had a goal of decorating for Halloween and having an ample supply of candy to hand out. When tempted to sample the goodies, not a single member of the family questioned whether or not eating the stash supported their goal nor did they consider the consequences of their action. Their behavior sabotaged achieving the goal.
In everything you undertake, success arises from having a goal, making a commitment to achieving it and controlling your behavior to ensure that it is in alignment with the desired outcome. You can do it!