Why Lack Of Focus Is The Kryptonite Of Effectiveness & Efficiency
When searching for peak performance, having focus is the key to success.
getty In your journey into the world of peak performance, one undeniable factor is that success is impossible without focus.
Perhaps you're wondering why focus is important. The key to effectiveness and efficiency in all of your tasks is knowing why focus is important.
You can strive for efficiency and effectiveness all you want, but a lack of focus will lead to bitter disappointment.
If you want to achieve the best results in your business, community, or personal life, you need to be laser-focused on the desired goal.
Failing that, in the same way that kryptonite renders Superman helpless, lack of focus can only lead to undesirable results.
You need a structured, strategic, and systematic approach to define the end result, make it real, lock in your focus, then go for it, all in. But be aware that half-measures lead to half results.
A simplified explanation of the importance of focus in success.
In your quest for excellence, the starting point must be an understanding of what will bring you to a state of performance.
Sports psychologists talk about being in the "flow" or the "zone." Athletes call it being minded. For you and I, let's just say you want to be focused.
Focus doesn't just happen — it must be created from a goal.
The easiest way to create focus is when there's a clear and precise goal.
Imagine a target board with a big bull's eye in the center and another circle around it.
The inner circle is called "the Circle of Influence" and the outer circle is called "the Circle of Concerns." (This is inspired by Stephen Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Your challenge is to stay focused on the Circle of Influence (the bull's eye), where you can control your outcome.
Staying away from the Circle of Concerns (what you can't do anything about) reduces worry and stress. In a word, you avoid paying interest on a loan you have yet to take out.
Obviously, it makes more sense to direct your energy — physical, mental, emotional, psychological, and spiritual — onto something you can affect, as opposed to something you can't change.
Focus is the root of all motivation.
Focus is so important because it's the root of motivation, the drive that a person generates in moving from the present state to a new state of accomplishment.
Here's a simple example to illustrate that fact.
Suppose you feel like having a special dinner this evening. If you don't stop and define the kind of menu you would like on this day, you will likely have a lukewarm desire to go out.
Anything happens that tickles your fancy along the way, the dinner will quickly be forgotten.
However, suppose you have a craving for a tender and juicy steak, you will imagine savoring it. You will salivate at the thought that your favorite meal is just a few hours away.
You will develop a strong desire for that steak. Nothing much will distract you from seeking the pleasure of that experience.
Your awareness of that fundamental internal process is key in understanding focus and its importance.
With the knowledge of how we develop an ability to lock in on a specific target (bull’s eye), it becomes easier to willingly create a particular focus in any facet of life.
Focus can be challenging when you're worried about the wrong things.
Most of us have a problem defining the bull's eye, describing it, and making it attractive because we tend to let our eye be distracted by the Circle of Concerns (what's outside our control).
When you want to sharpen your focus, strengthen your desire and motivation, and create peak performance, you will want to learn to direct your mind's eye on the bull's eye.
You will want to make it big, clear, and well-defined so that it becomes the total picture of the target. It then takes up all the space in your mind and you don't see the outer circle (Circle of Concerns) anymore.
You become motivated to seek the target.
Let’s face it, focus is a mind game.
Remember, you get what you set. Your subconscious brain does not know the difference between what is imagined and what is real.
In the end, it's much better to focus on the desired result and create your reality than to let someone else create it for you.
Reflect on the concept of focus and how it can boost your motivation concerning anything you want in life. You will join the ranks of those winners who are labeled as "people who make things happen."
Practice creating focus in your life by starting small.
The recipe for focus is simple but the task is daunting. So, start small.
Use something simple to practice, like something you would like to eat. Entertain the thought, amplify it, and hold it straight in front of your mind's eyes.
Make it real and start reaping the fruits of focus in your life.
Raymond Perras is a personal development coach, certified life coach, and author of the book AïM for Life Mastery. Connect with Raymond at coachp@aimforlifemastery.com or Twitter at @coachrpp for a free consultation to explore how you can partner in creating a better world for you and those you love or lead.