Stay Focused

Distractions have been a common theme in the self-improvement books that I read this past year. Noticing this led me to wonder if there was a pattern to find. In time, I realized that it's much bigger than that. My subconscious may be picking up on this message due to other factors in my life.

Simple distractions quickly derail our dreams. Too often, we take our eyes off of the prize, and the effects of this misdirection begin to compound. Looking at my past performance, I can find several examples of this in action. In the past, when I would hit my stride in the projects that I consider to be important for my goals, I would find myself getting buried in new, suddenly urgent tasks.

If we know that distractions take us further from our goals, why are we so easily fooled? The culprit here is probably our search for instant gratification. Past mentors have recommended completing the easy tasks before moving on to the more complex ones. I have found myself halting progress mid-way to completion so that I could conquer an easy item from my to-do list. I failed to think about the task's complexity before starting, so I found a way to make up for the lost satisfaction.

Our need to feel satisfied causes an impatience that keeps us on edge, ready to change directions once another "opportunity" presents itself. Once something comes along that will provide the satisfaction that we crave, we jump ship. As time progresses, our choice reveals its impact and, alongside that, its value. This experience indicates how far we have gone in reverse.

To once again move forward, we must refocus on the task at hand. The lessons from our detour give us the strength to maintain our forward path. We may find it easier to maintain our focus when we love what we are working to achieve. It is because of this love that the results matter more than the time spent realizing them. If it takes a lifetime, it is still worth it.