There is a lot of talk out there on the importance of focus.
We live in the age of distraction, our gadgets controlling our time and attention. It appears to be getting more difficult to get things done. But is it any more difficult than it used to be?
Today we have phones and tablets and Netflix. In the 80s we had MTV, Soaps and crosswords! Your mind will naturally seek out the distractions regardless of whether you are living in the 80s or the current day. There will always be things to keep us occupied when we don’t want to work.
Even Winston Churchill recognised the curse of distraction; “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks”
Simplify
It’s a lot easier to focus when you understand what you should be focusing on. If you focus on the following three areas you will definitely have more success in business and in life.
1. Focus on your Goals
The easiest route to achieving your goals is to focus on them. Some people set goals at the beginning of the year and hide them away in a box until the end of the year hoping that they will have magically materialised.
Believe me it’s not the best approach.
If you have a goal to reach whether it is a work goal or a personal goal it is important to make the acquisition of that goal part of your everyday life. Goals don’t usually just appear in your life without some work or effort on your part.
Creating Habits
Most goals require habits to be formed. If you have a personal goal to loose weight, exercise or write, these goals require habits to be formed, and these habits must be followed each day in order to enable these goals to manifest.
Professional goals such as seeking a promotion, increased revenue, profits or sales will also require actions to be carried out habitually to achieve the objectives.
First identify the habit that will help you to achieve your goal and make sure that your focus remains on that habit daily. If you need more sales you may need to make more calls or arrange more meetings. Spending time doing this daily, making a habit out of it will increase your chances of achieving this goal.
Don’t set too many goals, if you have one big goal for the year all of you smaller goals should lead to its acquisition.
2. Focus on what you want
Often when you need more money you focus on the debt, when you have an injury you focus on the pain and not the healing. It is important to focus on the thing that you want rather than what you don’t want.
One of my favourite quotes from Star Wars from Qui Gon Jinn “Your focus determines you reality”
We understand so little about the minds and its capabilities. We know that our brain has an electric field, a brain wave that interacts with our environment. Some say that our mind can and does influence our daily reality
How often do you say “I’m having a bad day”? How often do you feel down on your luck? In my experience if you spend time on that thought it will become true. On the flip side when you feel good, positive and powerful, good things tend to come your way. Make sure you spend some time figuring out what it is you want and focus on what you want, rather than on what you don’t want.
3. Focus on what makes you happy
The most important thing is to focus on what makes you happy. Firstly give attention to the things that matter, like your family, friends and your health. These things should always come first because for most they are the greatest source of happiness.
When it comes to your goals don’t choose them because you think it is the right thing to do. Don’t go for a promotion because it will bring you more money but most likely make you miserable. If you need to make more money consider a different source.
Don’t go to the gym to loose weight if you hate the gym, try a dance class or a team sport. Life is lived right now, not in the future. It is important to be mindful of the future but not at the expense of the now!
Let me repeat that:
“It is important to be mindful of the future but not at the expense of the now”
That doesn’t mean you do so at the expense of your future stability and health, it means you appreciate what you have right now and try to make each day a special one. Some times that may mean switching off the box set to do the work that will bring you your goals and sometimes it means closing the laptop to watch the box set that helps you to relax and enjoy life.
There is a balance to be found and instinctively you all know where that balance is, if you choose to act on it or not is up to you.
Happiness at work
Happiness is just as important in a work environment, many organisation are finally realising that happiness at work can impact productivity Happy employs will be more motivated, engaged and productive.
What you decide to put your attention on will become the story to the life that you lead.
If your attention is positive and your attitude proactive the results will show.
