What Are You Optimizing For?

Prepare yourself for the most over-used question of the business world: “What are you optimizing for?”

In all honesty, that question makes me want to take a nap. “Optimize” has become buzzwords that, by itself, has become blended into the background noise of the business world, just like “solutions for success.” Snore.

But there is something important here. Optimize means to make something effective or as useful as possible. And as I am sure you know, wherever our attention goes, our energy follows. So, what we are “optimizing for” or putting our attention on is what enhances the quality of that aspect of our work. But… is that the right aspect of our work to put our attention on?

When I was a finance professional, I would spend an enormous amount of time and energy optimizing the best way to deliver financial reports and analytics. However, in retrospect, I can see that it would have made a much bigger difference if I had optimized more in favor of personal connections, leading my team, and my health and well-being.

Today, as my own boss, I’m not so much optimizing for a fancy website or even having a super polished presence. Instead, I am optimizing for the quality of conversations I am having because, for me, that’s the difference that makes the biggest difference.

How about you? What if you got so clear on your priorities that everything you did was “the difference that made the difference” in your health, wealth, and personal happiness?

When you get clear about what you want to optimize, it can give you a direct path up the right mountain. The trick is knowing whether you have chosen the right mountain that matches the life you want to create for yourself.

If you would like a little guidance to ensure you are on the right path, I am here for you.