Some of the business owners I meet just have too much on their plate. It's clear that they have more to do than time to do it in. What's also clear is that it's affecting their performance. Even when they are doing the things they know they should - prioritizing, delegating, avoiding (in the good sense, of course) - what struck me was how being overloaded affected their performance. They have trouble focusing and staying on task. They lack their usual energy and their work isn't up to their own standards. This, unfortunately, can wind up feeding on itself and making the underlying problem worse.

I read a story about Tom Day, a quadriplegic who was wallowing in self-pity. He happened to be talking to a friend who asked him to think about all the things he missed - golf, sex, running, driving a car, and just walking. She asked if he was thinking of all those things and then gently leaned over next to his ear and screamed STOP!!! She asked him to remember this every time he began to think of the things he couldn't do. Good coaching.

The fact is, we have no control over most of what happens in the world. We can't change the past, we can only learn from it. We can't control the behavior of others, we can only control our own. We can take responsibility for the things that are ours and -- -- That's the trap, isn't it? We sometimes accept responsibility for the things we can't control. Suddenly those are the things that are controlling our days. Remember the scream.

Yes, there are strategies for avoiding these traps. One is to focus each evening on the few things you want to accomplish the following day. Do the same in the morning. Each time you have to make a decision about what to work on next, weigh it against your priorities. For each activity, estimate how long it will take to accomplish it. If it will take more than 90 minutes (we've learned how to sit still for a movie), it might need to be broken down into smaller pieces. The goal is to develop a focus and a rhythm that will eventually become a habit. If it's a habit, you won't have to think, or worry, about it. Now you can work on changing the things that can be changed. Stop worrying about the rest.

If the way you appear in public was the only advertising you did, what impression would the general public have of your business? Remember, before you speak, people have already formed an impression of you and your business. If it's not a good impression it will take a lot of effort to undo the damage that's been done. So, before you leave home, look in the mirror and ask yourself: "Would I want to do business with this person?"

Take a clean sheet of paper and draw a donut, a circle within a circle. The smaller circle represents your best customers. Think about where they live, shop, dine, attend religious services, and where their kids go to school. The space between the inner circle and the outer one represent all those people who know those people in the inner circle. These are your referral sources and your prospects. Your job is to connect with them to grow your inner circle.