Stay Focused

“Always remember, your focus determines your reality.”
Qui-Gon to Anakin,
Star Wars Episode I

How do we hit our targets, achieve our goals and live our dreams? This question comes up all the time. And even though the answer is really simple - stay focused - it just isn't easy.

As we travel along this road called life, we get sidetracked, sideswiped and blindsided by so many things - people. events, situations, and circumstances. Because these detractors take us on some interesting trips, these diversions also take us so far off course that we fail to come close to the results that we originally set out to accomplish.


Here are five "D"s to help you stay focused:

1. Describe clearly your trying to accomplish or gain. Do you want to land a certain position or job? Are you artistic and want to write, paint or create a great work of art? Are you entrepreneurial and have a great business idea? Interested in being another Edison and inventor? Are you adventurous and want to explore the world and beyond?
2. Draw and write down a clear vision of what you want. If you are not artistic, take pictures of what you envision your dream or goal to look like. Make it colorful. Describe every aspect in specific and really inspirational detail.
   
3. Design a process that will help you get there. Now you have the opportunity to engineer a successful strategy. Mapping a course of action is worth the investment of time. You are the captain of fate.
   
4. Define specific vision and dream related goals. These are the goals that motivate you to move out of your comfort zone. They cause you to stretch, lose sleep, and at the same time build a sense of anticipation and excitement.
   
5. Discipline yourself and track your progress. Appreciating that diversions will always so up to derail you, keep your vision and goals ever present. Measuring and monitoring goals are essential. In my experience, I find it to establish a tracking system for these goals by the week, the month, the quarter, semiannually and annually. This helps me prioritize and modify as needed.
   

If you keep your process simple, your focus becomes reality.