New idea.

New tool.

New opportunity.

It feels productive, but is it?

When you say “Yes” to the shiny thing, what are you saying “no” to? What happens if you say no? How much focus can you keep on the things that are most important?

Let’s simplify decision-making so you stop driving and start focusing.

📚Learn

Most bad decisions don’t feel bad.

They feel helpful.

They feel exciting.

They feel urgent.

The problem?

We justify them with one reason.

“Someone needs help.”

“It could be useful.”

“It sounds cool.”

But strong decision-makers add a second filter. The first decision is based on the X-axis (first criteria). Before moving forward, they add the Y-Axis question. (second criteria).

Here’s an example.

And even simpler:

If the answer is no, in both cases, it’s a distraction. If it’s no in one, but not the other - some additional thinking may be required.

Clarity creates focus.

Focus kills shiny objects.

When you know your top priorities (Health, Wealth, Happiness, or your top 4-5 business goals) decisions get easier.

No clarity —> constant distraction.

Clear priorities —> faster decisions.

Where do you get pulled off track?

Now ask yourself:

If you’re leading a team, ask one more hard question:

If we add this, what are we removing?

Adding without eliminating creates chaos.

Here’s your simple focus filter to start today:

Keep it simple.

Don’t be a shiny object chaser.

Don’t be a shiny object creator for your team.

Clarity → Focus → Execution

What’s one shiny thing you can or need to eliminate this week?

You already know shiny things are distractions.

You already know clarity drives focus.

The real questions is: Why do smart leaders keep falling for it anyway?Because most distractions don’t look irresponsible. They look reasonable. And reasonable is a dangerous word in leadership.

It’s reasonable to help. Reasonable to explore. Reasonable to test something new. Reasonable to pivot when something sounds promising.

Individually, none of those are bad. Collectively, they erode momentum.

Here’s what doesn’t get talked about enough:

Every time you introduce something new without removing something old, you quietly lower your team’s belief in priorities.

They start to think:

And once that belief sets in, execution slows.

Certainty fuels effort.

Let’s challenge another assumption:

You might think your team struggles with focus.

But what if they’re just responding to your inconsistency?

Leadership focus isn’t about writing priorities on a whiteboard. It’s about protecting those written priorities under pressure.

Pressure is where your standards show up. When you’re tired. When a client asks for something outside of scope. When a new tool promises efficiency. When a competitor launches something flashy. That’s when your decision-making criteria matters most.

The hidden cost of distraction is:

Strong leaders don’t chase momentum, they build it.

And momentum is built when your team sees you say:

“That’s interesting. But this is more important.”

Over and over again.

That’s discipline.

That’s focus.

That’s how clarity turns into execution.

One Shift to Make This Week:

Instead of asking, “Should we do this?” Starting asking, “Is this more important than what we’re currently doing?”

If it’s not more important, it doesn’t replace it.

And if it does replace it, publicly name what’s being removed.

You can also reflect on this:

Clarity sets direction.

Focus protects it.

Discipline compounds it.

Mike works with GTM and revenue leaders who know their teams are capable of more, but need space to think, recalibrate, and align at a higher level.

Through executive retreats, leadership offsets, strategy sessions, and curated peer discussions he creates the room senior teams rarely give themselves. Room to surface assumptions, name friction, and make decisions that move their teams and business forward.

If your leadership team needs to create space for strategic thinking, let’s talk.

Did you know that you can login to findmycatalyst.com to read any past issues of the newsletter? This is a great way to binge the content you are most interested in.

You can also find our Catalyst Countdown Series when logging in. In this series, we are sharing 12 reflections and actions to help you start the new year before it officially begins.

Keep putting one intentional step in front of the other - the view gets better and better as you climb.

We’d love if you would share this with someone who is ready to build their sprints for the new year.

The Find My Catalyst Team