Stay Focused - Continued

When it comes to staying focused, keep in mind:

1. Focused people always look for a better way. What got you where you are most likely will not get you where you need to be, A family who moved into a new neighborhood got a late start one morning, As a result the 6 year old missed the school bus. Though it would make him late for work, the father agreed to take the child to school if she gave him directions to get there. After 20 minutes of going in circles, they finally reached the school. By this time he was angry and the dad asked why she drove him all over the place when the school was so close to their home. She replied " We went the way the bus does - that's the only way that I know how to get to school".

2. Focused people concentrate a little harder and a little longer. Hall of fame baseball player Hank Aaron said "What separates a superstar from the average ball player is that he concentrates just a little bit longer." Focused thinking is the ability to remove distractions and mental clutter so that you can concentrate with clarity.

3. Focused people make COMMITMENTS, not excuses. A sign on the desk of an officer in the Pentagon reads "The secrecy of my job does not permit me to know what I am doing." Its a cute joke, but not so cute when its true. When you don't know why you're doing, you become frustrated and end up failing.

Notice too:

1. Focused people don't live in the past. Too many of us yearn for the past and get stuck in it. Instead we need to learn from the past and let go of it, Elbert Hubbard wrote "A retentive memory may be a good thingm but the ability to forget is a token of greatness." Successful people forget they are running a race. They can't afford to look behind. Their eyes are on the finish line. They're too big to let little things disturb the,. If anyone does them wrong, they consider the source and keep cool. Its only the small people who cherish revenge. Be a good forgetter.

2. Focused people don't think about the difficulties, but the rewards. If you dwell on the difficulties for too long, you'll start to develop self pity instead of self-discipline. As a result you will accomplish less and less. By focusing on results you will stay encouraged.

3. Focused people choose their friends carefully. There are 5 types of people you will encounter in your life:

(a) refreshers - these are people who strenghten and energize you.
(b) refiners - these are people who sharpen you and clarify your vision.
(c) Reflectors - these are people who mirror your energy, neither adding or subtracting from it.
(d) Reducers - these are people who try to diminish your goals and efforts to their comfort level
(e) Rejectors - these are people who don't understand you or what your can do.

So our goal is to remain focused and you will stay grounded. The praise of others is less likely to go to your head and the negative impact of your critics will be minimized.