The first time I signed up for a 100-mile race, I hated even thinking about the distance. It felt impossible — an outrageous goal for someone who had never run more than fifty miles (and nearly quit after that).
But here’s the truth I discovered on that long, grueling trail: It’s not about one hundred miles. It’s about dialing in your focus to the next step. The next aid station. The next right move.
Focus isn’t some abstract ideal. It’s a survival skill. And it turns out, it’s also the foundation of high performance in life and leadership.
At InsideOut Development, we talk a lot about focus through the lens of the GROW® Model and the Performance Wheel. In both frameworks, focus isn’t just a supporting character but a lead role. Without it, goals remain abstract, distractions multiply, and progress stalls. But with focus, people achieve what they never believed they could.
This is a story about ultrarunning, yes. But more than that, it’s a story about how clarity, discipline, and belief can change what we think we’re capable of. Whether you're chasing a personal goal or leading a team, focus is what takes you beyond the limits you thought existed.
Focus is the engine that drives performance. It aligns attention with intention and transforms raw effort into measurable results. In the workplace, focused individuals are more productive, more innovative, and more resilient under pressure.
According to a study by the University of California, Irvine, it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain focus after a distraction. In a world of constant pings and notifications, that’s a heavy cost to performance.
In coaching and leadership development, stalled progress is rarely about a lack of talent or resources. It’s about a lack of focus. At InsideOut Development, our methodology is designed to help leaders and teams refocus on what matters most: clear goals, purposeful action, and consistent accountability.
When I first signed up for the Wasatch 100, the idea of running one hundred miles was overwhelming. So, I stopped focusing on the number. Instead, I broke the race into aid station segments and focused on controlling the controllables: my training and my nutrition.
This mirrors the first step in the GROW Model: setting a clear Goal — not a vague intention, but a defined outcome that can guide effort and attention.
In our coaching sessions, we often ask: "What do you want?" It's a deceptively simple question, but it's designed to help people cut through the fog of busyness and define a finish line.
Without that clarity, it's easy to drift. But with it, you can begin to organize your actions and energy toward something specific and meaningful.
Focus isn’t just a decision, it’s a discipline. I trained for months, monitoring my calories down to the gram, relying solely on liquid fuel to avoid digestive issues and stay within the limits of what my body could absorb. Every part of my race strategy was built on consistent habits and deliberate choices.
In the same way, focused professionals rely on rituals: time-blocking for deep work, silencing notifications, setting intentional daily goals, and scheduling regular reviews to measure progress.
At InsideOut Development, our coaching tools are designed to help people identify these habits and build them into sustainable routines that enhance focus and, ultimately, performance.
At mile sixty-seven, I hit a wall — physically, mentally, emotionally. I was cold, depleted, and completely out of it. My wife handed me a grilled cheese sandwich, and I broke my cardinal rule of never sitting down. But I needed that moment.
After ten minutes, I got up, fueled by what felt like the best sandwich of my life, and kept moving. My pacer turned to me and said, "You got this! You only have a 50K left." I wanted to punch him. But again, I re-centered my focus. All I cared about was the next aid station.
This is what we help teams do every day: When burnout sets in or challenges feel too big, we coach people back to the next step. We help leaders clear the clutter and focus their teams on what matters most.
Distractions are inevitable. What matters is how quickly and effectively we return to what we set out to do.
Focus also must scale. One person staying focused is great. But teams aligned with a shared focus? That’s powerful. That’s where performance becomes culture.
Through GROW coaching, we help organizations tie individual focus to larger company goals. When people see how their daily actions impact the bigger picture, they show up differently. They work with purpose. They make better decisions. They invest more deeply in outcomes.
Crossing the finish line at the Wasatch 100 taught me a simple but transformative lesson: We are capable of far more than we believe — if we focus.
Focus isn't just about ignoring distractions. It's about deciding, again and again, what matters most, and giving it your full attention. Years later, I placed in the top ten at that same race, something I never thought I was good enough to do. But it wasn't talent. It was focus.
Whether you're leading a team or chasing a goal of your own, ask yourself: Where is your focus today? And is it where it needs to be?
At InsideOut Development, we believe performance starts from the inside out. Our GROW Coaching Model and Performance Wheel are designed to help individuals and organizations sharpen their focus, align on goals, and build habits for long-term success.
Curious how coaching can help you or your team achieve more? Let’s start the conversation.