Pay Attention

  • 1 min read
Yes

We’ve heard this since time immemorial.

From the time we were in kindergarten and first grade all the way through college and into our professional careers.

Pay Attention

One of my favorite movies is “Inside Man” where the main character Dalton Russell, played by Clive Owen, says something near the end of the movie.

He says:

“Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself.”
~ Dalton Russell

Then he follows it with very crisp, cogent, and concise instructions for what you should pay attention to.

Where he details The 5W’s – The Who, Where, What, Where, and Why.

If you’ve seen the movie you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend it.

I wrote How to use POP on the Job  where the The 5W’s play a critical role.

He knows precisely what he is Paying Attention to and uses The 5W’s to help us know too. You may want to try this model to focus your attention.

You are what you pay attention to

I have said for years that I can tell you everything you want to know about someone and specifically about what they prioritize, by looking at their calendar.

Which is really just another way of saying “you are what you pay attention to”

Everyone only has 24 hours in a day. Everyone can only do so much in those 24 hours. Choose Wisely!

See Plan Your Days … or Else for more about paying attention to the time you have. Hint: 86,400

If you want to stand out in your career … pay attention. Manage your time and your calendar wisely.

There is no judgment here

The point of this post is NOT to tell you what to pay attention to. It is also NOT to judge on anything that you prioritize and you pay attention to.

It is merely to point out this somewhat obvious fact that we are what we pay attention to.

What are you paying attention to?

Picture of Jeff Shuey

Jeff Shuey

Jeff is an expert in the Enterprise Content Management industry. He brings over 20 years of Channel Sales, Partner Marketing and Alliance expertise to audiences around the world in speaking engagements and via his writing. He has worked for Microsoft, Kodak, and K2. He is currently consulting with Microsoft and partners to drive Community Engagement and Alliances. Follow him on Twitter @jshuey or on LinkedIn: in/JeffShuey

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