At some point, all of us have procrastinated when it comes to difficult or unpleasant tasks.

For many advisors, this has become a big issue. Seldom has the gap been larger between the things we feel comfortable doing on one hand and those we know we need to do on the other - whether it be scheduling client meetings that are likely to be difficult or setting aside time each week to reach out to prospective clients.

This last point came home recently in a vivid fashion. I asked a group of successful advisors how many hours they'd spent in the past week talking to prospects. The most common answer: Zero.

In times like these, focusing on what we need to do rather than what we want to do is challenging - but it can be done.

It starts with your goals for 2009. What do you want to achieve with existing clients? What are your goals in terms of attracting new clients?

Once this is done, you need to plan your month, your week and your day to reflect these priorities.

One simple step is to take the time each Friday afternoon to identify the top things you need to do in the week ahead - the clients you need to call, the prospects you need to approach. Then block out time in your calendar for the next week to make these happen.

At the end of each day, take five minutes to write down the three most important priorities for the next day - and block out the time in your schedule to make these happen. When you come in, force yourself to focus on those three priorities - and refuse to allow yourself to be distracted until they're done.

Finally, be alert for avoidance behaviour. In this business, there is unlimited opportunity to spend time that allows us to avoid doing the really tough things that we need to tackle - whether it be reading firm research, surfing the net for articles from business publications or attending yet another manager presentation.

Take a moment to think about whether you've allowed avoidance behaviour to distract you from key business priorities - and resolve to control the time on these avoidance activities in the immediate period ahead.

The discipline to focus on the highest return activities, no matter how difficult in the short term, has always been the mark of successful advisors - but never has it been more important than right now. Concentrating on what you need to do rather than on what you want to do will be one of the key drivers of success going forward.