Staying the Course: How to Refocus and Finish Strong

Written by Trailer Bridge CEO, Mitch Luciano.

Let’s take a moment to address the elephant in the proverbial room – as you read this our industry is facing a labor union strike along the East Coast, the first work stoppage since 1977. If you do any work on the East Coast ports, I am confident your team has most likely been focused on getting as much of your freight as possible off port terminals and keeping business operations running smoothly.

It’s certainly an issue that requires our attention – just as the others have this year – but my note to you today is less about disruption and more about focus despite the disruption.

As leaders we must learn to navigate disruption in a way that doesn’t steal our focus from the goals we set for ourselves and our businesses.

Each January, we start the year with optimism, setting goals for where we want to be by year’s end. Yet, as the months pass – especially, after the headwinds we’ve faced recently – we find ourselves maybe a little less optimistic and scrambling to even remember the goals and targets set in January.

Whether you immediately think of your personal goals or your professional targets – here are a few tips to help you refocus and finish 2024 strong!

Make your goals and targets easily visible.

Jot down what you hope to accomplish and place it somewhere you can easily review whether it’s a sticky note on your laptop or a reminder on your phone.

Create accountability – for yourself and your team.

With the new quarter approaching, take a moment to evaluate how you’re holding yourself and your team accountable. Measure your progress and ensure you have a plan to keep moving forward.

Be intentional with your time.

Block time on your calendar for focused work. This helps you reclaim your time and stay aligned with your goals.

And as I reminded my team this past month, know that its okay to take some advice from our favorite ‘friend’ and P-I-V-O-T if circumstances require it. If you find yourself in a place that requires you to adjust your goals and targets heading into Q4 – do it and kick ass.

We still have 90 days left in the year to ‘Make it Happen’ and I believe that’s enough time to make true progress toward our goals and move our industry forward.