Legendary professional golfer, Arnold Palmer, shared a story about the 1961 Masters tournament. He reached the final hole with a one stroke lead. After a good tee shot, he was becoming quite confident of his win. Approaching his ball on the faraway, Palmer spotted a friend of his on the edge of the crowd. He detoured to shake hands and visit. Palmer explained that “as I did, I knew I had lost my focus.” His next two shots were unimpressive and were followed by a missed put that cost him the tournament. He remarked that, “You don’t forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again. I haven’t in the 30 years since.” Palmer lost focus at a crucial moment, which he attributes to his overconfidence at the outcome of the tournament. The importance of focus for professional athletes cannot be overstated. This truth is not exclusive to the world of sports.
There is a concept in the world of management called “mission drift.” It refers to when organizations lose sight of their main goals. Failure to focus on goals results in less effectiveness in accomplishing what matters most. This is a byproduct of devoting energy and attention to matters that have nothing to do with their mission. Peter Drucker, the author and thinker responsible for shaping much of modern business theory, argued that the primary focus of the CEO of any business is to compare the mission statement to every decision and action of the organization.
The stakes associated with focus in life decisions of individuals can seem less urgent when compared to athletes or companies. However, striving towards accomplishing life goals or becoming the person you want to be should be important to you. It’s easy to lose focus on making family a priority or raising your kids to follow God or achieving your educational or professional dreams. We live in a world that strives to keep us distracted. More specifically, businesses make money by getting us to look at their websites or buy into the lifestyle they are selling.
Perhaps the most common distraction in our world today is the cell phone. Most Americans carry a small computer with them everywhere they go, and it constantly notifies us of ways to waste time or be distracted from what we are doing, or worse still keeps us from engaging with what matters most. When my kids were young, it always shocked me how many parents sat and stared at their phones on the edge of the playground while their kids begged for their attention. The same phenomena can be seen in restaurants and any almost any public place. We are so distracted by the trivial stuff coming out of our phones that we miss the most important parts of our lives: Our spouse and kids.
Another area of distraction is found in the draw towards being busy. Modern Americans treat busyness as though it is a virtue. Often, that busyness is a product of filling the hours in our day with things that don’t crack our top 5 priority list. If you ask most people, they will tell you that the things that matter most in their lives are things like family, faith, personal integrity, friendships, financial security, health, etc. Yet, their hours are so stretched between other things, it is hard to find the energy or time to invest in what really matters.
The key to overcoming “mission drift” in our lives is to regularly evaluate whether or not what we are doing fits what is most important things in life. Then we must prioritize things that matter. If family is first, spending time with your family needs to be the top priority. If God is the most important part of our lives, participating in a church or engaging in fellowship should be a priority as well. Start by asking yourself: What matters most to me? or Who do I want to be? Then ask: Does this match the life I am living? If it doesn’t, it’s time to make changes.
