You Can Do Anything You Put Your Mind To
Jul 20, 2016 by Reen Rose
Are you easily distracted? Are you attracted to new opportunities, ideas and projects? If so you aren’t alone; many of us are human magpies with our attention bouncing from one new thing to the next.
There may be an evolutionary reason for this behaviour. If our ancient ancestors were laser focused, they would be less likely to see dangers as they appeared. Those who survived the longest were more likely to be the people who jumped at every sound and took notice of anything that came into view.
This trait may have served our ancestors well, but it isn’t such a good thing if you want to find success in today’s world.
It has taken me a long time to realize the importance being laser-focused plays in success.
When I was in elementary school I knew I would be a teacher when I grew up and when I was 13 I decided that I would go on a teaching exchange as soon as I had enough experience to apply. I was focused. I had a clear picture in my mind about what my future career would look like. I left school, earned a Bachelor of Education, taught for 6 years and then went on a teaching exchange to England. My dream became my reality.
I was very successful in my working life, until my world took some unplanned twists and turns. That’s when I found myself without focus and no longer enjoying the level of success that I was used to and desired.
My focus had been a stroke of fate up until then. I hadn’t had to find it, nor did I have any idea of its importance. I had never stopped to think what I would do if I wasn’t in a classroom. I found some hazy ideas and tried to put them into action, but I certainly wasn’t laser focused and I didn’t find the sort of success I wanted.
I found the courage a few years ago to start down a new career path. That’s when I discovered the importance of becoming focused on what you want to achieve if you want to be truly successful. I’m not just talking about having a general idea of what you want; I’m talking about the importance of becoming laser-focused.
Let me share three reasons why being laser-focused is so important for success.
1. What you focus on is what you get
Whether you believe in the Law of Attraction or prefer to rely on scientific research, both agree that what you spend time thinking about is what you will find more of, so put this to work in your desire to achieve success. Know what you want and make it so real that you can taste it.
2. You recognize relevant opportunities when they appear
If you don’t know what you are aiming for, you are less likely to recognize relevant opportunities when they appear. This focus allows you to actively look for monumental breaks. I knew I wanted to go on an exchange, so I made sure I knew how to apply. I didn’t wait for the opportunity to fall from the sky and hit me in the head.
3. You will become more productive
We all do so many things that do not move us toward our goals. When you have laser-focus you know what to give your attention to and more importantly, what not to be distracted by. When you spend your time only working on activities that are supporting your success, you will be amazed how much more productive you are. Your days have enough hours in them to get your work done.
We all have those magpie tendency to be distracted by new projects, people and ideas, but by focusing on what you want to achieve and learning to block out those distractions, you can find the kind of success that you may only have dreamed of.