There are days when so much is going on that everything seems blurry. When this happens in the workplace, people can get distracted by the dangerous combination of chaos and minutia and miss important things. Lack of clarity can lead to one big blur.

When this happens to you, it’s important to regain focus and clarity as soon as possible.

One of the best antidotes to the big blur is to keep your important goals at the top of your mind. If you are feeling sidetracked and struggling making decisions, you can ask, “How does doing this help me achieve my goals?”

Then it becomes relatively easy – if it helps you, do it; if it doesn’t help you, then reevaluate.

Staying focused on your goals also diminishes the impact of distractions. You’re more aware of the important issues of your day and less likely to succumb to the unimportant.

One of my clients was working on a high-profile project. As the project gained steam, the big blur kicked in. My client started asking her team dozens of questions about things that weren’t relevant to the project and became distracted from the vital aspects of the project.

She realized the trap she had fallen into, course corrected, and got the team back on track. Yes, all’s well that ends well, but this project suffered from unnecessary drama and extra work.

Your best preventative action is to stay focused on your goals. This effort will be well worth it on that unexpected day when the big blur creeps in.

Header image by Rodrigo Souza/Pexels.