Zoe Thompson
May 23, 20183 min
Updated: Jan 14, 2020
What does focus mean to you? Where is your focus?
According to the dictionary there are a few meanings:
a. A centre of interest or activity:
b. Close or narrow attention; concentration:
c. A condition in which something can be clearly apprehended or perceived:
(https://www.thefreedictionary.com/focus)
To make change we need to focus.
It does however need to be the right focus to achieve success.
“The Secret of Change Is to Focus All of Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, But on Building the New”
Socrates
Often, we feel that we have focus, but is it in the right direction?
How do we know if we are focusing on the right things and in the right way?
You not others
Focus on you and your own journey.Don’t compare your chapter 1 with somebody else's chapter 10 on social media that has been heavily filtered and doesn’t give you the full picture.Measure and monitor your own progress.Following people for inspiration and motivation is great but ensure that the focus is your journey not theirs.
Smart not Hard
Don’t do it the hard way, find the smart way!Find the smallest changes that will have the biggest impact.Small changes result in sustainable changes.Be smart!
Consistency not effort
Consistency beats effort every time.7 days of consistent small changes will have a better impact than 3 days of big effort then falling off the wagon.Consistency helps bring about behaviour changes.Big effort is hard to sustain so start small and build on it as you embed each change.
Present not past or future
Plan for the future, learn from the past but spend as much time as possible in the present.
Live in the realism of now.This is where you have control to change.Focus your efforts on the present.
Strengths not weaknesses
Focus on your strengths. Your weaknesses will often be your strengths out of balance (under done or over done) so focus on all you can achieve with your strengths, identify which are out of balance and work to bring them back in.
Character not reputation
Your reputation is based on what other people think you are.This will be impacted by their own thoughts, feelings and experiences, of which you have no control over.
Your character is who you are.This is all within your control. It is who you are even when nobody is looking.
Blessings not misfortunes
It is easy to focus on our misfortunes but it is better to focus on our blessings.Start the day with gratitude’s.End the day with your blessings, wins and successes.Remind yourself of all you are grateful for. Look for the blessings in every situation, even our most difficult times will have a blessing hidden within.
Goals not fear
Focus on the goals ahead. What will it look like and feel like when you achieve it?What will be different about you when you achieve it?What will be the benefits to achieving this goal?Focus on everything you are working towards it.Change can be uncomfortable, there is no growth without the fear of change.Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Solution not problem
Identify the problem, identify the solutions and then focus your energy on working on the solutions.It is easy to get drawn into the problem itself but this will not change it.Focus on the solutions and the changes will come so that the problem no longer exists.Focus on what is in your control and what you can change.
Journey not destination
Set the goal and then focus on the journey to get there.In the same way that you identify what you want in the future but then focus on the present.If you enjoy the journey then it doesn’t matter so much if the progress is slow, or even if the end destination changes.Some journeys can be incredibly long so if you can enjoy it you are more likely to stay motivated to continue on the same path.
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