At age 18, after attending a seminar by personal development leader Jim Rohn, Don Hobbs felt his world open up. Transformed by this experience, Don dove into the field, absorbed every personal growth book he could find, and began working with Rohn himself – eventually becoming the President of Jim Rohn Productions.
Now the executive vice president of Empire Builders, Don tours the country leading seminars based on the book, The One Thing. The ASPIRE Success Club recently learned from Don firsthand about focus, purpose, priorities, and other keys to success. Just a few of his many tips:
1. Dedicate time to your top priority role.
Just like a master violinist must put in hours of practice or an elite runner sets aside time each day for exercise, so must each of us designate time to that which matters most to us. First, decide what matters most, then schedule focused time on your calendar for it.
Whether your top role is musician, CEO, teacher, mom, or something else entirely, decide and dedicate. “Focus on what’s going to move your ball forward in whatever court it’s in,” says Don.
2. Clarify your purpose.
“Why am I here?” – a question that can sometimes keep us up at night – is an important one. If we don’t know why we’re here, Don suggests, how do we know what activities to pursue or where to invest our precious time?
By understanding your purpose, you can use it as a guide in making decisions for your future as well as in your everyday life. To start, Don suggests searching within: What did you love to do as a child? What do you enjoy so much you’d do it for free? How can you become more childlike – curious, open, wild sense of possibility – in order to explore possibilities?
3. Create your bunker.
Reserving time for purposeful activity within your top priority role can be easy on paper, but honoring that time isn’t always as easy. Then again, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as we make it.
A “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, turning off email and social media notifications for a period of time, and educating others of our boundaries can help us protect our focus time. And focus is the key: “Whenever we try to do more than one thing at a time, we are less effective,” says Don.
I have pages of notes from Don, both from our interview and from his seminar I attended a few months ago with several ASPIRE members, and one line continues to stand out for me: “We are much bigger than we live.” We are designed for greatness, to make a powerful difference in the world, to speak our truth and to act boldly. As Marianne Williamson beautifully wrote, “We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?”
How can you live, work, and lead bigger this week? What action will you take to enhance your focus, honor your priorities, and work with purpose?
Learn more about Don Hobbs here – and explore the site for more resources from The One Thing (Gary Keller with Jay Papasan, Bard Press, 2013).
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What if your boldest dream is actually within reach…and you don’t even realize it?
Dr. Christi Hegstad, Dream Igniter & Growth Accelerator. Christi is a Certified Coach who has helped thousands clarify and reach Big Dreams and Bold Goals with meaning and purpose. She is president of MAP Professional Development Inc., NAWBO Iowa’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, and mom to three amazing kids.