The Power of "You Steer Where You Stare" and How It Relates to Your Goals

Happy Thursday lovely ones,

Last year, during a discussion in my book club, I came across a saying that really stuck with me: "You steer where you stare." At first, I laughed it off, admitting to my usual self-deprecation about being directionally challenged and overly reliant on GPS. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how profound that simple phrase really is.

At first glance, "You steer where you stare" sounds like something you'd hear in a driver’s ed class, right? A reminder that if you look too long at that car in the ditch, you're bound to veer off the road. But over the past year, this phrase has shown up in various parts of my life, helping me realize the importance of where I focus my attention.

For example, there was the time my son was supposed to send me an important document, but got distracted by social media and missed the deadline. Or the day I was late for an appointment because I picked up the home phone "quickly"—only to realize I should have been on the road already. Another time, my other son got distracted by a friend's "crisis" and missed completing his chores. Even my trainer, who overslept after a late night out, had to cancel our workout session.

In all these cases, the common thread was distraction. Something—whether it was social media, a phone call, or a friend's emergency—took our focus off the task at hand, causing us to veer off course. It’s a powerful reminder that where we focus our attention shapes where we go and what we achieve.

This lesson also applies to work. Every day, during our stand-ups, we share our goals and priorities. But at the end of the day, how often do we fall short of achieving those objectives? There are always excuses—distractions, shifting priorities, unexpected issues. But the key to success is resetting our gaze and recommitting to the goals we’ve set. Without doing so, days turn into weeks, and before we know it, we’ve completely lost track.

Here’s the bottom line: "You steer where you stare" is more than just a catchy saying. It’s a reminder to keep your eyes on the prize, to stay focused on your goals, and to recalibrate when you get off track. Just like in a car, if you let your attention wander, you’ll find yourself veering in the wrong direction.

As we wrap up this quarter and reflect on our performance, let’s make a collective commitment: lock our performance objectives into our gaze and stay focused on delivering the results that will drive success. Let’s articulate what we plan to focus on each day and tie those actions back to our bigger goals. At the end of the day, let’s celebrate our accomplishments or recalibrate for tomorrow. After all, success is built day by day, with our eyes on the prize.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

-srt