PRODUCTIVITYSlow Doesn’t Mean Stop
Spring tends to be a slower period in many opticals, which means it frees up time to work on other projects. Try a new event or training. According to Dr. Amber Fritsch of Precision Eye Care in Mt. Juliet, TN, this is a great time to run a sale. “We will usually run a sunglass sale at some point in there to help keep more consistent revenue in addition to getting people ready for summer and Spring Break. While at Family Vision Center in Westminster, CO, Heather Aites says they use the slower pace of spring for “housekeeping and cross training. We test our staff to keep them up to date on new technology and products in our office. We also set goals each quarter and check to see how they are going.”
PRODUCTIVITYThe Friday 30
Here’s something almost nobody does: sit down at the end of the week and look at what actually happened. Not what you planned. What happened. Peter Drucker calls it a “feedback loop” — comparing expectations against reality on a regular schedule. Block out half an hour on Friday before you lock up. You’ll be surprised how fast the patterns jump out — which days drag, where orders stall, what keeps falling through the cracks.
MANAGEMENTOutsmart Your Future Self
Remove the option to quit. Odysseus tied himself to the mast so he wouldn’t steer toward the sirens. You probably don’t have a mast, but you do have a calendar. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely calls these “commitment devices” — structures that lock in good behavior before your future self can talk you out of it. Set automatic transfers to savings. Book the trade show booth before you feel “ready.” Schedule the vendor meeting and don’t give yourself a cancellation option. Willpower is unreliable. Structures aren’t.
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EVENTSDouble Up on Holidays
Consider hosting a Mother’s Day and Father’s Day event. Mix in category-specific eyewear, a little attitude, and a clear reason to buy. As K Elizabeth Bouravnev of Bergh White Opticians, Springfield, IL, puts it: “Have both a Mother’s and Father’s Day Event featuring different types of eyewear. Men need attention too. Our event focuses on Brats, Brews and Task Dedicated Eyewear… if you spend $2K-$5K on a gun, you can afford $500 to $1,000 for the glasses to go with it…”
PRODUCTIVITYEnd the Curse of Partial Attention
Linda Stone coined the term “continuous partial attention” — our constant state of half-listening to everything and fully hearing nothing. You know the mode. You’re answering an email while someone’s talking to you while your phone buzzes while you’re mentally rewriting the schedule for Thursday. You feel productive. You are not productive. Batch your email. Silence the notifications. Give yourself two hours a day where you’re actually doing one thing. Just one.
MOTIVATIONTrack With Small Wins
Five good minutes. That’s all it takes to shift momentum. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says five minutes of exercise, writing, or conversation can reset your entire day. Record progress on a chart, celebrate the tiniest wins, and don’t let one missed day snowball into quitting. Small wins add up to big momentum.
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SELF-IMPROVEMENTNight School Works
If you can’t read your own financials, go take a class. Finance expert David Brown says most folks who struggled with numbers in high school are surprised how much easier it is when you actually care about the material. (Turns out that “when will I ever use this?” question from 10th grade has a very clear answer now.) Local colleges offer night courses in business basics. You’re not too old. You’re not too busy. You’re just putting it off.
STRATEGYSay No More Often
Here’s a question nobody in this industry asks themselves enough: If someone offered you this opportunity today — fresh, no history, no guilt — would you take it? Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, calls it the “90% Rule.” If it doesn’t score a nine out of 10, don’t touch it. Every “yes” is a “no” to something else. You just don’t see the “no” until you’re buried in it.
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