Dare to live without limits Week of 8/31/20

How good are you at staying focused on your goals?

What do you think about? Are you focused on taking your life in a positive direction, or do you concentrate on avoiding unwanted circumstances? Do you focus on solutions, or on problems? Is your focus directed toward what you like, or what you don’t like?
You get what you focus on. Whether your focus is positive or negative is irrelevant. Your mind does not care if you are focusing on good stuff or bad. Your focus is a magnet which attracts whatever it is directed to.
The circumstances you encounter are not based on luck or chance. Passively waiting for your desires to appear is like playing the lottery; it might happen, but the odds are greatly against you. Conversely, directing your focus to what you really want is highly effective.
Don’t make the mistake of focusing on things that are bothering you. Don’t fixate on people you don’t like. Don’t obsess about situations which upset you. Don’t become consumed with problems you are facing. Don’t become immersed with tasks you hate doing.
Avoid focusing on anything you don’t want because you will attract it. For example, concentrating on not wanting to be broke, avoiding failure, not wanting to get sick, fear of rejection, or not wanting to constantly struggle brings those things to you.
Instead, always put into positive terms those things you want to accomplish. Being successful is preferable to avoiding failure. Staying healthy is better than avoiding disease. Having people like you for who you are is more desirable than fearing rejection. Enjoying beneficial circumstances is more satisfying than struggling.
So, rather than waiting for something to happen, you actively work to make it happen. Just as a laser beam focuses light at one concentrated point, you focus your energy on one specific objective. The more intense your focus, the greater the results.
When faced with a problem, focus on a solution instead of becoming enmeshed in the problem. Once the problem has been accurately identified, direct all of your energy to finding a solution. If your first solution does not work as expected, try another approach. There is a solution for every problem. Focus will help you discover it.
Scattered energy is diluted. Constantly jumping from one task to another is a waste of effort. It’s the same effect as having a flashlight instead of a laser. A laser can cut through steel whereas a flashlight won’t cut through anything.
Focus must be followed by positive action. Start by acting as if you are where you want to be. Behave as if you are already successful, happy, and healthy. In order to become confident, act with confidence. Your actions create your reality.
Focus on your goals. Formulate goals which you would love to accomplish. A burning desire to achieve them intensifies your focus. Nothing beats doing what you love to do. You never have to force yourself to work toward a highly desirable objective.
Clear, well defined, and detailed goals are readily focusable. Knowing exactly where you are headed enables you to know where to aim. Eliminate non-priorities and distractions because they dilute your focus.
Dream big. Harness focus to achieve more than you previously thought possible. Don’t limit yourself with constraints or excuses. Whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve. Unwavering dedication to your objective is key.
Determine exactly what objectives are worthy of your focus. The smaller the list, the stronger your focus will be. The more intense your focus, the more you will accomplish in a shorter period of time.

NOW AVAILABLE: "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book. Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper.  2020 Bryan Golden