Squirrels and Chipmunks – Which one are you?
by Financial Advisor Coach
Have you ever noticed the difference between squirrels and chipmunks? My Lakehouse was on a country road, so I had plenty of opportunity to ‘study’ the distinction between squirrels and chipmunks.
I noticed a difference in my driving habits when I encountered each. I was confident I could get around any chipmunk I saw down the road as they were clear on where they were heading and they made a swift bee-line toward their goal. I could rely on the fact that they would end up somewhere on the trajectory of their path. They would sustain their direction.
Squirrels, on the other hand, were entirely different. They had a propensity to stop midway down their path, question it several times, then choose an unpredictable direction. I was never confident in which way they would go. I had to stop my car every time I saw one so ensure they wouldn’t get squished. Our minds are very similar to the behavior of a squirrel. We never quite know where it will go from one minute to the next. First, it is focused on business development, then it gets distracted by emails, then shifts direction once again to address the agenda of the random, incoming phone call. How do we know where our mind will end up at the end of each hour, or day?
The chipmunk seems to have a very specific focus for where it wants to go, the squirrel, however, allows any minor distraction to interrupt its path.
Notice what your mind does all day. What focus do you provide for its path? Is it clear or obscure?
In order to be more like a chipmunk, you have to recognize that you need to provide a very clear objective to keep focus. Second, recognize that your mind’s tendency is to be more like a squirrel, when you notice it gets stopped or distracted, give it a clear objective to refocus attention.
This is why every expert on efficiency will tell you that one of the most important activities of your day is to clarify (or declare), what 1-3 priorities you have in the day and focus on one at a time. Create guardrails for your attention whenever possible so you can shepherd your mind in a more direct path to your ultimate goal.
Be more like a Chipmunk, less like a squirrel.
