In a world where distractions are the norm, focus has become a hot commodity. It’s become so elusive that, in some circles, all focus means is something you do to take a clearer picture on your smartphone.
Distractions come from everywhere; conversations you overhear, ‘breaking news’ stories, social media 'wormholes,’ notifications on your phone and computer, other distracted people and even your own thoughts. Research over the years has determined that the human brain has thousands of thoughts every day. On some days, it seems impossible to quiet the constant interruptions and truly give your attention to something you want to accomplish.
It’s also easier than ever before in history to be constantly distracted simply because we carry it with us, literally. According to Reviews.org’s 2020 survey, America’s Love Affair with Their Phones, 66% of Americans check their phones 160 times every day! 65.7% of people in the United States admit to sleeping with their smartphones at night.
Our addiction to technology is one of the biggest thieves of our ability to focus. Like Pavlov’s dog, we virtually salivate every time our devices buzz, ring, ding or beep.
These distractions are constantly competing with one skill that is crucial to your success - focus. In every aspect of your life, you are pretty much guaranteed to get whatever you focus on, whether it’s good or bad. That’s how powerful it is!
That’s also the secret to using focus to get exactly what you want.
Focus has a superpower that no other skill has; what you focus on is where your energy goes. That means that most of what you have in your life is a byproduct of where you’ve put your focus thus far. If you have focused on things that move you forward, you’ve most likely set and accomplished some goals in your life. If you’ve spent a lot of time focusing on what you don't want, which is how many people spend their days, you have probably felt “stuck” for a long time.
If you think about it, It’s very common for people to focus on what they don’t want. Have you ever noticed that if you focus on things going wrong in your life, you have more things going wrong? “When it rains, it pours,” we like to say. If you focus on the fact that you're not feeling well, you're not going to feel better anytime soon. If you focus on the fact that your business is not doing well, you’re going to continue to see problems instead of opportunities.
Here’s a mindset shift I encourage you to adopt immediately; if you’re going to be focusing on something anyway, why not make it something that works for you instead of against you?
Focus works equally well with abundance as it does with scarcity. If you are looking for possibilities, you will find more possibilities. If you are focusing on the challenges coming your way and on the things that “aren’t happening,” you will get more of the same. So be specific and intentional about what you are focusing on and you will begin to find you have a lot more control over your outcomes than you think.