Focus: Your Strategic Advantage

As we move through the second quarter of the year, this is a time when a lot of people start to lose their footing and detour from the goals and intentions that they set for the year. In order to avoid this quarter looking exactly like the first quarter, you are going to have to be strategic about the things that you concentrate on. If you were to ask me about the key factors that contribute to your success, I would say things like discipline, clarity and even strategy. However, one of the most important factors that drives your success is focus. Hopefully, these insights will challenge you to course correct so that you can make progress and realize your greatest potential.

1. You have to learn to say no to distractions. While I am sure some of you think I am an anomaly, the reality is that I face many of the same challenges and obstacles that you face. The only difference is that I have developed my mindset to power through anything that would attempt to interrupt my progress or stifle my growth. In fact, as you influence grows you will find yourself overwhelmed with opportunities. Every single day things come across my desk that are often great opportunities. However, as someone that knows a bit about success, I can tell you that those that master their lives are those that have learned to discern between distractions and divine appointments. Many of these opportunities look great on the surface. However, when I examine these opportunities with a discerning eye, it becomes clear that they are nothing more than distractions that will take me away from my most important priorities. If you do not learn to say no to distractions, you will say yes to things and people that move you further away from the life that you were born for. Distractions are nothing more than detours leading to a life of frustration, unfulfilled dreams and unrealized potential.

2. You must be willing to eliminate the things that no longer serve you. As I just said, in the early days of your journey every opportunity will seem like a great one. However, with time and maturity, you learn that anything you say yes to inevitably means that you have to say no to something else. Personally, I found myself saying no to the things that would move my life forward and empower me to realize my dreams. Therefore, I had to make a non-negotiable decision that I would say no to every opportunity that did not align with the life that I was building. In order to do this, you have to be willing to eliminate the things that no longer serve you. What worked for you in one season of your life will not work for you in the next season. Also, things that I once was responsible for I had to learn to delegate. If you do not eliminate the things that no longer serve you, then you will ultimately find yourself exhausted and burnt out. How do you eliminate the things that no longer serve you? You assess whether this action or activity is advancing your life or crippling your life. If it is not moving your life forward, then it is something you need to eliminate. Moreover, if it is keeping you stuck and stagnant then you cannot afford to settle for this in your life. Sometimes you have to simplify your life in order to strengthen your life.

3. You focus define your focus. I am sure that some of you are a bit baffled by this statement. So you will have to give me a moment to unpack this. In an era where everyone is claiming to be an expert and marketing themselves as gurus, the reality is that very few people are mastering their lives. Most of the criticism that I have received has come from people who were doing less than me and were not living lives that I desire to emulate. So it would not make sense for me to become offended or insulted by people who do not align with the life that I am building. From decades of experience, I have come to the conclusion that you must define your focus. Why is this so important? We all have different visions and we all have different goals. The danger in a one size fits all approach is that success has to be customized to your individual course. In order to customize your success journey, you must first take the time to define what you want, what it will take to get there and ultimately how you plan to get there. As you define your focus, you design the foundational steps that it will take to reach your goals and realize your dreams. When you define your focus, it becomes both possible and attainable.

4. Only when you define your focus can you operate with clarity. If you have followed my work for any length of time, then you know I talk a lot about clarity. In fact, I did a clarity detox that changed my life forever. At the time, I had some critical decisions to make about my life and my business. I was not sure exactly what to do and so I knew that I needed more clarity. During my clarity detox, not only did I gain insights but I was able to devise the strategies for radical change in my life and business. It is hard to create sustainable change in your life without clarity. I watch so many people live in toxic cycles of frustration, failure and defeat when they do not have to. If most people would slow down, process the situation, seek wisdom and invite answers, they would be amazed at the level of clarity they will see in their lives. One of the most important lessons I ever learned is that clarity does not come with speed. Clarity comes with having the ability to slow down and perceive the lessons that life is trying to teach you. When you rush your way through life the result is often regret. On the other hand, when you adjust your pace you awaken to limitless possibilities. You will never reach your peak in life without clarity.