What’s Distracting You From Your Mission?

“Does this fork speak to you?”

“What do you think about these wine glasses?”

“Would your members appreciate this plate?”

I’m walking the floor of the New York State Restaurant Show with a client, and I’m peppering him with questions about the museum cafe he has asked me to develop. After a dozen questions, he pulls me aside as hundreds of attendees walk past.

“Mark, I appreciate the effort. But I want to be very clear. Our purpose is to celebrate artists and serve our community. Everything we do needs to support that goal. I don’t want any of this to draw attention away from why we exist.”

As we stand there amid the mayhem, I’m embarrassed. In my desire to serve my client, I had lost sight of his organization’s mission. Luckily, he had not.

Here’s what I learned from that experience. Let’s start with some context.

We live in a culture of distraction, and one of the biggest challenges leaders face isn’t a lack of ideas – it’s too many of them. It’s easy to fall prey to “bright-shiny-object-itis.”

Left unchecked, those distractions quietly pull you and your organization away from what matters most. If you’re like me, you’ve been tempted to stray from your mission. This is natural, but it can be dangerous. It’s important to remind yourself: Nothing is more important than the bigger mission.

Why do we let ourselves get distracted by stuff that doesn’t matter? Why do we keep getting pulled into things that bring us off course? And what can we do about it?

Try This.

The next time you’re presented with an opportunity or face an important decision, run it through a simple filter. Ask the question, “How does this support why we exist?”

Which options move you closer to your purpose, and which move you further away?

This works at every level.

For bigger decisions, take it one step further:

Start with purpose, then evaluate the impact on your customers, employees, and the bottom line.

That framework keeps you grounded in who you are, while ensuring the business remains strong enough to thrive.

Try it, and let me know what you find.

Until next time, make it a great shift.