Hyperfocus That Holds: How to Stay on Track with Your Goals

You don't lose momentum because you're too busy. You lose it because you stop honoring what you said mattered most. This episode is about how to lock back in and stay there until the result is real.

Welcome to The Law Firm Owner Podcast, powered by Velocity Work, for owners who want to grow a firm that gives them the life they want. Get crystal clear on where you're going, take planning seriously, and honor your plan like a pro. This is the work that creates Velocity.

Welcome back to The Law Firm Owner Podcast, powered by Velocity Work. I am Melissa Shanahan. Today's episode isn't about cutting distractions or managing your time. It's about what happens after that, when you already know what matters, but your attention starts to drift. The urgency creeps in, and what was once your top priority starts to fade into the background.

That's the moment that separates firms that truly grow from the ones that just stay busy. Because progress doesn't come from setting goals; it comes from staying locked on those goals long enough to cross the finish line.

So today, we're talking about how to build that staying power, how to be hyper-focused in a way that actually holds, not for a day, not for a week, until it's done.

Every firm owner says they want growth. They want freedom. They want more control. They want more time. They want more money. But those things don't come from having the perfect plan. They come from honoring the plan you already made. This is the discipline most people skip, the daily recommitment. And when you stop making that small commitment each day, that's when results start to stall.

So, what does hyperfocus really mean? When I say hyperfocus, I don't mean working harder or blocking off giant chunks of time. I mean locking in relentlessly on a single result you are committed to creating. There are two levels: macro hyperfocus, choosing and committing to one clear result or outcome for the future you are building. And then there's micro, and micro hyperfocus is aligning your daily actions to that result on purpose.

That combination of macro hyperfocus and micro hyperfocus is where momentum lives. Inside Velocity Work, everything connects back to this simple rhythm: Aim, Plan, Honor.

Aim. This has both a macro, what you're aiming for, and a micro, what you're aiming for day-to-day, layer. And so on the macro level, it's the bigger future you're building, what you're ultimately aiming for. And on the micro level, it's the one outcome right in front of you, the thing that moves you closer to that larger aim. That's the one we're focused on today.

Plan. So Aim, Plan, Honor. Plan is put one meaningful move towards that outcome on your calendar every day. And then honor your plan. Keep this, the promise to yourself that you made, even when the initial motivation fades. That's it.

Now, let's talk about how to actually do that. In many instances, I'm talking about the calendar with this, so if that's what you're expecting, you've got another thing coming. We are not talking about the calendar. We're talking about other ways to ensure that you are staying very focused, that hyperfocus is a thing for you in the right ways. And there's some behavior mechanics. Let's talk about that.

Number one, you need to remind yourself every single morning what you're aiming for. This is a non-negotiable. Every morning, before you open your email, before you walk into your firm, you need to remind yourself what you are aiming for, certainly in the micro, because that's the one thing that matters most right now. You've said that's true. And what is the result that you're supposed to be focused on right now? Reminding yourself of that. And what's the outcome that you are committed to complete? Remind yourself of that right now. That's what you need to see every day. It will help immensely with you staying on track with what you said was important.

Now, bonus points if you also know your macro, and if you if you remind yourself every day of the bigger future you're building too. But the micro comes first, always. You have to remind yourself of what you're supposed to stay focused on right now.

When we work with clients, we give them a vision deck. At the end of their strategic planning retreat, there is a sheet that has a summary of what matters the most. And the reason that we designed the Vision Deck was for the reason that I'm talking to you about right now. They need to see this thing every day.

One side of that vision deck is supposed to hang with them looking at it every day, and it's just the quarter in front of them. Yes, we made bigger plans, but just the quarter in front of them is what they're supposed to look at. It lists the goals that they're shooting for that quarter. It lists their strategic priorities for the quarter, and they look at it every day. And that's why we made it. It helps keep them focused in, locked in.

So what's your version of that? What will you look at daily so that you stay connected to what you're aiming for, both the outcome that's right in front of you, and if you know it, the larger future that you're creating? But macro versus micro, you do need to know what you're supposed to be spending your days on. You need to know what is supposed to be happening this week, this month, and this quarter. And so if you don't know that, you're not going to be able to be hyperfocused on anything.

So when we work with people, we focus on the macro with them, and then we reverse engineer to figure out, okay, what's the strategic priority this quarter? And that's what they have to keep top of mind. What's your version of that, and how are you keeping it top of mind so that you make the progress you need to make?

Now, the second, in terms of behavior mechanics, is to honor the 20-minute rule. Every workday, dedicate one 20-minute block to your top priority. People think they need these huge swaths of time to make progress, and that's not true. Turtle steps for the win. Progress, not perfection. Every day, 20 minutes. You will be amazed what three weeks of this does for a project that has been sitting still for nine months or longer. It isn't about more time; it's about consistency.

Okay, the third, in terms of behavior mechanics, is to start using accurate language. Don't allow yourself to say things or catch yourself when you say things like, "It just fell out of sight," or, "The time got away from me." Start saying, "I allowed my attention to shift." That phrasing matters because it puts you back in control.

Watch your language. It matters. Words have power. We talked about that with Jeff Salzenstein on the podcast. Words have power, and the more awake to the truth you are, the more accurate your language will be.

Next, watch for virtuous procrastination. When you catch yourself doing something important instead of the one thing that you said you would do, pause. Ask yourself, "What's the smallest, obvious next step I can take in the next 60 seconds?" Do that and then roll straight into your 20-minute block. I have seen owners transform projects that lingered for months simply by honoring one 20-minute block a day. No overhaul, no software, no new gadgets, just daily follow-through. That level of consistency builds both results and confidence.

So here's your challenge. Pick one result for the next 30 days, one result. This could be a project that really will help move the needle in the ways that make sense for where you're going, with the future that you're building. Pick one result that you will create over the next 30 days through consistent action.

Next, put a 20-minute block on your calendar every workday to make headway on this. Now, if you do planning your week, like Monday Map, Friday Wrap, if you plan your week and you have a practice of honoring that plan, then you can put in that 20-minute block. What's the thing you're supposed to do on that 20 minutes? What's the headway you're supposed to make in that 20 minutes? You could do that for each day.

Now, the next thing is to create or print something you can look at daily. This is your own version of a vision deck, and it keeps your micro, the aim, the thing that you're aiming for, front and center, so that you don't get swept up in the busyness of things and you tend to forget on what you were supposed to be focused on and why.

We talked about this with Jeff Salzenstein on the podcast that I gave an example of a personal anthem. That is exactly what that offered. I knew what to stay true to that day, what commitments I was going to honor. I had to build new habits. We're talking about behavioral mechanics here. This is no different. And so my personal anthem, which is what I called it, was reminders for myself on what matters, what I do, how I show up, and why. I read that thing every day, and it shifted my life in a way that I wouldn't have been able to shift had I not kept that front and center.

So what's your version of that? What's your vision deck, just like we give clients for their aims, their goals, and their strategic priorities? What's your thing? How can you make it so that it hangs in front of your face every day and you don't get to just get into your day without reading it? It shouldn't be long. It should be to the point, but it should be true.

Okay, and now, start tomorrow. You don't need a bunch of headway in order to prepare to get things going. Start tomorrow. Make this simple. It may not be easy, but that's because of behavioral mechanics. This is absolutely game-changing when it's practiced. So start tomorrow.

If you want help choosing the right aim, the big one, the macro, and the next one, the micro, and you want help building a plan you can actually honor, schedule a consult at velocitywork.com. We'll help you get clear on where you're going, what to focus on first, and how to stay locked in until it's done.

Clarity isn't a luxury; it's a discipline. So stay focused. Stay locked in. You've got this.

Hey, want to watch the video of this episode? Head over to Velocity Work’s YouTube channel. You’ll find the link in the show notes.

You may not know this, but there's a free guide for a process I teach called Monday Map Friday Wrap. If you go to velocitywork.com, it's all yours. It's about how to plan your time and honor your plans so that week over week, more work that moves the needle is getting done in less time. Go to velocitywork.com to get your free copy.

Thank you for listening to The Law Firm Owner Podcast. If you're ready to get clearer on your vision, data, and mindset, then head over to VelocityWork.com where you can plug in to quarterly Strategic Planning, with accountability and coaching in between. This is the work that creates Velocity.