We had the good fortune of spending an evening last year with our KOA club members at a Gala Dinner celebrating 10 years at Salesforce.com in San Francisco. It felt like a high school reunion of sorts and getting to see people from all over the world that you started early in your career with and how they have grown both in career and family was amazing.

In addition, we had a senior officer from the company sitting at every table. We have some incredible leaders. To be able to hear their perspective and see their genuine interest in each person’s career and life was special.

At our table our CFO shared a trip he took to Asia. Over the course of three days he held an important quarterly earnings call, flew to Japan to run the Tokyo Marathon with his son and return to speak in front of 1,000 people at an investor forum. I asked him how he prepares for a week like that?

He said I “Pivot and Shift”.

I compartmentalize and only focus on the task at hand and know when that is complete, I take a quick breather and move to the next.

Intense focus. Pivot and shift.

When asked what one of the best recent experiences he’s had in his travel all over the world, he said…running the marathon with his son.

Thinking about the dinner opportunity has me grateful today for the life long friends I have made over the last decade at Salesforce.

Focus, ruthlessly prioritize, execute, then do it again.

What choices will you make tomorrow?

Colin