Are You Able To Focus?

 I've been sitting here for some time now, trying to "get motivated" about what to write about today. It's not that I don't want to write - it just that my mind keeps wandering. I've changed my mind about what topic to discuss several times. 

I considered going further in depth about belief. I thought about expectancy. I was distracted by email and phoning a friend. In short, I just couldn't settle down and decide what to write about - then it hit me!

Why not write about what has been troubling me today?

So many times in the past, I would decide I wanted to do something, get excited about it, form a plan so its accomplishment became believable and then, get distracted by another big project and forget all about the first one.

Let's face it. We all lose our focus from time to time, especially in todays world.  With email, cell phones, TV commercials, instant messaging, and untold other little things to interrupt us, keeping focused can be very difficult. Sometimes (like this morning for me) our mind just seems to jump from one thing to another.

Those little distractions just happen. They're a part of life. Writers call it writer's block. I call it me being me. 

Those little distractions, while they may be troubling at times, can be overcome. It's the big distractions that cause you to forget about you goals that can be fatal to your success.

That's why it's crucial to have a written plan, broken down from your overall goals (long term) to shorter (mid term) goals to even shorter (short term) goals to a daily "to do" list. 

For goal setting to be effective your goals need to flow from your "to do" lists to your short-term, medium-term, and long-term logically and smoothly. In other words, your daily list takes you toward accomplishing your short-term goals. Your short-term goals take you closer to your mid-term goals and your mid-term goals take you closer to your final destination - your long-term goals. 

As far as your daily list is concerned, it won't all necessarily be toward your achieving of your goals. there are always chores, meetings, parties, and other things that don't move you toward your goals that are still necessary. That's okay! 

All of these from long-term right down to your daily lists need to be written down and referred to often. When planning your day ask yourself - what have I put on my list today that takes me toward my major objective? There should be at least one thing every day that moves you closer to your long-term goal.

If you get used to planning your life like this it becomes easier and easier to stay on track. You start to do the planning and follow-through as a matter of habit. Before long you'll find that writing out and following your lists is something you do almost automatically.

           

So, start today. Write out your goals if you haven't already. Break them down further and further until you have a list of what needs to be done today. Do this every day. You'll be amazed in a month at how much closer you are to your long-term goals!