If there is a skill that distinguishes those at the top of their game, it is a well-honed ability to focus. Superstars have a unique combination of talent and discipline that allows them to steadfastly—even stubbornly—embrace what they want. This approach can be applied to anything you want to change: enhancing production, improving employee management or implementing a marketing campaign. Here's how:

1. Create a goal. Make it specific, measurable and time-specific. And put it in writing.
2. Memorize the goal and recite it to yourself daily.
3. Document your progress in writing each week.
4. Tell someone you trust about your goal and why it is important to you.
5. Attend a training course, get a coach, read a book-do what you can to discover new ideas that support goal attainment weekly.
6. Reward yourself when you make progress.
7. Celebrate. If you make a dramatic improvement, you need a dramatic celebration-whatever that means to you.

It's unfortunate that we hold ourselves to mediocrity when we are capable of so much more. And all we have to do to achieve it is focus, focus, focus.

Joni Youngwirth is managing principal of practice management at Commonwealth Financial Network in Waltham, Mass.