I\u2019m a college sports fanatic but, I also enjoy pro baseball and football but simply to a lesser degree.\u00a0 Recently, I was watching the final pre-season football game for the Cincinnati Bengals and while I know that\u00a0professional athletes earn millions of dollars, I was struck by something deeper.\u00a0 My business coaching<\/a> and Growth Coach<\/a> antennae went up.\u00a0 Not only do these athletes earn millions of dollars, but\u00a0it’s for\u00a0a few hours of actual\u00a0“game time” a week. Now that’s incredible financial leverage<\/strong>!\u00a0 Movie stars and rock stars do the same thing, focusing\u00a0their time, talents and efforts almost exclusively on what\u00a0they do best and\u00a0getting paid extremely well for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This opened my eyes to the multi-million-dollar focusing system<\/a>. \u00a0For example, rock stars make millions for performing on stage for 2-3 hours.\u00a0 They don’t set up or break down the stage or sell tickets or keep the books.\u00a0 They do one thing well<\/strong>, they perform.\u00a0 Again, they rock a few hours\u00a0on stage\u00a0each\u00a0city they visit.\u00a0 When finished, they drive away in their limousines or rock-star buses and save their talents for the next stage … they don’t major in minor things<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0Football players\u00a0are the same way.\u00a0 They prepare for and then play one game a week.\u00a0 And again, they make millions with this simple focusing system.\u00a0 We business owners\u00a0could stand to\u00a0learn from this highly focused and simple approach to\u00a0priority and performance management<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0We too need to stop majoring in the minor things. \u00a0Can\u2019t we adopt the multi-million-dollar focusing system of super stars \u2026 I think we can.<\/p>\n

While we could discuss celebrities, movie stars, rock stars, and athletes from other professional sports, for sake of simplicity, this Growth Coach Blog will focus only on\u00a0professional football players.\u00a0 While in season, everything in their daily lives is\u00a0focused on and builds toward a critically important event each and every week … Game Day.<\/strong><\/strong> If they are not playing the game, they are conditioning or practicing so when it\u2019s game time, they are at their best and ready.\u00a0 And if they are not playing or practicing, they are taking time off to rejuvenate, relax and heal.\u00a0 Again, everything revolves around the most important priority and for which they truly earn millions and millions of dollars … Game Day!<\/p>\n

As a business coach<\/a>, I love the clarity and\u00a0simplicity of the Game Day concept and the strategic-focusing system<\/strong>. Most business owners lack such a singular focus and rallying point.\u00a0 Unlike overworked and overwhelmed business owners, professional athletes are not trying to manage time, multiple roles, and dozens and dozens of low-value tasks.\u00a0 Athletes\u00a0prioritize and simplify<\/strong> their world, with the help of coaches of course, by focusing on three dedicated days: GAME DAYS, PRACTICE DAYS, and OFF DAYS<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

While I’m certain it’s not an easy work life,\u00a0it sure sounds like\u00a0a simple and focused\u00a0one.\u00a0 When they wake up, it’s either one of only three types of days \u2026 game day, practice day, or off day.\u00a0 Everything is oriented around either preparing for,\u00a0actually performing in, or recovering from the focal point … Game Day.<\/strong> When you function by dedicated days you can’t get too distracted, too busy, too overwhelmed, or too lost.\u00a0 Each day,\u00a0your focus is pretty set and clear.\u00a0\u00a0Such simplicity and clarity!\u00a0 And such wonderful implications for business coaches and their small business owner clients<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What if business owners organized their week and work days around the concept of game days, practice days and off days?<\/strong> I think it would\u00a0significantly improve an owner’s\u00a0focus and effectiveness.\u00a0 Their world would be simplified, clarified and\u00a0money would be multiplied. They could earn more money, work less hours, and enjoy richer lives.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 For once, they would focus on\u00a0and do more of the right work, less of the wrong work!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Game Days<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Just how\u00a0would\u00a0a professional athlete’s priority management system work for a business owner?\u00a0 On game days, the owner would focus only on what he\/she does\u00a0best <\/strong>(e.g. selling, marketing,\u00a0leading, planning, client relations, innovating or creating). The owner\u00a0would not handle any low-value work or get distracted by anything or anyone else on\u00a0that day.\u00a0 Like an athlete, they would be in the zone<\/strong>.\u00a0 Game day is money day.\u00a0 Game day is the big show.\u00a0 Game day activities should get\u00a0an owner’s\u00a0heart racing and passion flowing. \u00a0On game day or days, the owner would focus only on\u00a0the best and highest use of his\/her time, talents,\u00a0and efforts. <\/strong> They would focus only on those high-value activities that drive significant money and value into the business.\u00a0 As an example, let’s say “selling major accounts” is your Game Day activity.<\/p>\n

Practice Days<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

On Practice Days, the owner would get his\/her game plan together and prepare for the upcoming Game Day activities (selling major accounts).<\/strong> Practice days would be\u00a0for the sole purpose of the owner getting ready to be at his\/her best for the\u00a0handful of hours that will be dedicated to the game day activity, selling major accounts.\u00a0 Like world-class athletes, practice days are preparation days (going over strategy, plays, drilling on fundamentals, etc).\u00a0 Practice days would consist of the\u00a0necessary tasks<\/strong> (selling strategy, research, sales presentation rehearsal, etc.) to get physically and mentally ready to go out and\u00a0deliver the best selling performance possible on game day … score a sales touchdown.<\/p>\n

Off Days<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What about Off Days?\u00a0 Off days would allow the business owner to spend time away from work (game days and practice days) to rejuvenate his\/her body, mind and soul.<\/strong> Movie stars take breaks or hiatuses.\u00a0 Football players get days off.\u00a0 As a business owner, take a real break from your company … no calls, no emails, no work, no nothing.\u00a0 Time to re-charge your battery, spirit, mind and creativity.\u00a0 This concept is already built into our Growth Coach\u00a0process<\/a> \u2026 all of our small business clients have Fun Days to re-charge their batteries, passion and creativity.<\/strong> The owner, would spend a few to several days away from work each month (in addition to weekends)\u00a0and pursue other passions, hobbies or time with family and friends.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 So he\/she can get refreshed and be at their best when they are back to work for practice days and most importantly, game days.<\/p>\n

Doesn’t that world (game days, practice days and off days) sound a lot simpler than the chaos, complexity, and countless low-value tasks you experience on a daily basis?\u00a0\u00a0Doesn’t that\u00a0world seem a lot more focused, strategic and effective?<\/strong> Doesn\u2019t this multi-million-dollar focusing system make sense?\u00a0 I think it does.\u00a0 I myself will start looking at my priorities and productivity in terms of Game Days, Practice Days, and Off Days.\u00a0 Who would have thought business owners could learn so much from athletes and rock stars?<\/p>\n

Why not try and organize your\u00a0weeks into Game Days, Practice Days, and Off Days? <\/strong>You have nothing to lose (except for being overwhelmed and overworked), and much to gain … clarity, focus, simplicity and sanity.\u00a0 Good luck on your Game Days!\u00a0 Growth Coach will be cheering for you.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n