The Power of Focus

New Years Resolutions

With the start of the new year upon us, we often take time to reflect on the past and set goals for the upcoming year. Did you achieve all that you wanted in 2006? If you are like most people, you still have some important goals that need to roll over to 2007 because we didn't reach them in 2006.

Many people avoid this process altogether because of their own thoughts... thoughts that tell them that they somehow don't measure up. They feel that they know what they "should" do, but just don't do it. Do you know what your thoughts are telling you?

What is your FOCUS?

Have you been comparing yourself to an external ideal and saying "I'm not good enough" (or something negative like that) because you know you "should be" doing something, but you're not? Well, stop it! Don't fret over that. Let bygones be bygones. Make 2007 the year that you learn to understand and control your thoughts... the year you make your thoughts work for you.

Let's FOCUS on the future!

What is it that you'd like to create for yourself in 2007?

Would you like...

What is it that you'd like to focus on creating and achieving for your own professional and personal success in 2007? Are you prepared to overcome the challenges that stand in the way of achieving your goals?

The Challenges of Focusing

  1. Choosing what to focus on
  2. Maintaining your focus long enough to create real change

How many of your 2007 goals are the same as your 2006 goals?

How many of your 2007 goals will you abandon before the end of January? the end of February?

We all start out with good intentions, but good intentions never accomplished anything. Intentions are the "ready, aim" part of "ready, aim, fire". It isn't until we "pull the trigger" that we actually get things done. So...

How do we choose which goals to focus on?

Why is focus so hard to sustain?

The Solution

The key element of being successful in reaching our goals is to be sure to focus on the habits that will help us to become the person that we want to become.

Here are 4 key points about focusing:

  1. Concentrate your attention on the things that you DO want in your life - don't focus on what you don't want.  For instance, focus on "becoming healthier" or "running a 5k" instead of "losing weight" or "quitting smoking." (When you focus on "weight" and "smoking", even with the "losing" or "quitting" in front of them, you still use and reinforce the neural pathways needed to think about those things - thereby, actually strengthening the bad habit.) Work towards your goals and good habits (instead of trying to erase the bad ones).
  2. As discussed in a previous newsletter, focus on the process not the outcome. If you focus on the outcome, you can easily become frustrated with your progress. Og Mandino says, "The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner."1
  3. Which leads to... Set daily goals that focus on the tasks that you need to accomplish each day to reach your goals. This way, if you miss a day or two, it isn't a disaster to your plan. You'll simply be able to get back on track again tomorrow by choosing to focus on that day's goals.
  4. It's not just how hard you focus, but also how often and how long you focus... Accountability enhances the consistency of focus. Why do corporate executives, business owners, professional athletes and other top performers have coaches? Haven't they already reached the peak of their profession? They know a secret... that their coaches help them achieve their goals by offering a fresh perspective, advice and accountability. Why don't you try hiring a coach this year?
    (Yes, this is a shameless plug for my services. Check out the Coaching section on the left for more information on how our coaching can help you.)

Whatever your goals, I can help. Our assessment can be the first step toward understanding which of your thoughts are balanced (thoughts that you should focus on) and which are not. To take a test drive of the assessment, click here now. If you've completed an assessment and are ready to take the next step in getting your thoughts to work for you, contact me today!

The Science of Focus

Our brains are like road construction companies. They love to build paths, roads, highways and superhighways (neural pathways). Your brain takes thoughts that it thinks regularly and creates roadways so that the next time you think the thought, it has an easier path (using less energy).

Creating the first roadway uses your working memory and takes a lot of energy. As you keep focusing on the thoughts over time, those roadways go from dirt roads to alleys to highways and move to your thoughts to your habit center forming your habits. (Just like most drivers, your thoughts always want to take the easiest route.)

So, the objective to changing your behavior and reaching your goals is to form good habits and create the (neural) roadways that you choose to create and get you to where you want to go.

Focus or attention is all that is needed to create these roadways, move these thought processes and turn them into habits. (That focus can be conscious attention as well as sub- or un-conscious attention.)

NEWS FLASH: You have telekinetic powers!

What does this mean to you? In short, you can change your physical brain by focusing your mind and your thoughts. (It's real-life telekinesis - the ability of the mind to influence physical matter.)

If you focus long enough and hard enough, you will actually change the physical nature of your brain. Once this hardwiring is in place, you have moved through the 4 stages of learning and developed habits.

 

Whatever your goals in 2007 may be, I'd love to help you achieve them. You are worth it!

If you haven't already done so, ACT NOW and try out our introductory 6 Advisors assessment. Then call or email me to discuss how coaching can help you.

I believe in you. You can achieve your goals in 2007 and beyond!

 

1Og Mandino, "The Greatest Salesman in the World", ©1968, Scroll III, p.68.