Well, I want to take a moment and say welcome to the second quarter of 2021. Last week was a week of reflection and resets for me. I took time to look over my personal and business goals, Also, I evaluated fiscal results and realigned goals and projections for this new quarter. I am very proud of my results for the first three months of this year. However, I know that it will take focus, discipline and consistency to continue to make progress and see results in this second quarter. I want to talk with you about eliminating distractions in your life. I talk to so many people around the world and I notice that many people struggle with focus. While I am not saying that focus is easy, I am saying that it is essential to forward momentum and the fulfillment of your vision. I hope these insights will resonate with you and empower you to create results in 2021 and beyond.
Identity the distractions in your life. Denial is the womb of defeat. Too many people are in denial about the distractions in their lives. If you want to remove the obstacles to change in your life, then you first have to take the time to identify the distractions in your life. What I have observed is that uninteresting goals are one of the main reasons that people are distracted. If you set low goals for yourself, then you easily become bored and your attention becomes divided. So I want you to set measurable and realistic goals. You need a challenge in your life. Challenges are ultimately what unleash your capacity for greatness. So set ambitious goals for yourself and dare to take action. Also, I would say that social media is one of the biggest distractions for most people today. I cannot tell you the number of people that have told me over the years that they do not have time for their goals. However, they have time to scroll social media for hours. Social media can be a great tool but never let it become a distraction in your life. If you are tempted to scroll, schedule your social media posts and limit your time on the various platforms. Binge watching Netflix and other streaming services is another big distraction. While I am not saying that you should not enjoy your favorite streaming programs, I am saying that you need to carve out adequate time for your goals and working on your vision. In addition, taking on too many tasks, not setting clear boundaries in your relationships and procrastination are major distractions to your success. What you do not identify you will never correct.
Become intentional about how you spend your time. If you have followed my work over the years, then you know that time management is not something that I believe in. In reality, you cannot really manage time. However, time is an investment that requires skill and strategy to be successful. I am constantly asked what has been the key to my success over the years. While many factors have contributed to my success, my ability to properly invest my time and energy have been tantamount to my success. I am in control of my calendar, I set my priorities, and I have learned how to maximize moments in my life. It is the reason I am super productive and consistently achieving my goals. I want to take a moment and dispel a myth. I want you to stop saying that you do not have enough time to do certain things. The reality is that you always make time for what is important to you. Therefore, you will always pursue your priorities. If you are not making time for it, then it is not something that you truly consider important. The investment of time determines whether or not you are honoring the seed of your potential. We are all gifted with 24 hours. Ultimately, how you govern those hours determines your productivity and your prosperity.
Rank your activities in order of priority. Anyone that has ever worked with me will tell you that prioritization is a word that I live by. Every single day has its own challenges. However, as I have learned over the years, you have to prioritize your activities every single day in order of importance. In other words, low-level activities are pushed to the bottom of my list in terms of priority. Mid-level activities are pushed to the middle of my list of priorities. Ultimately, high-level activities take priority on my list. Effective leaders understand that you cannot concentrate on everything. However, you should concentrate on the things that are essential to your personal and business success. That means that the money-making and personal development activities should always be at the top of your list. You cannot afford to prioritize activities that do not advance your life. So before you give precedent to something I want you to ask yourself a few questions. First, is this important? Second, it this activity absolutely necessary? Third, does this activity facilitate my prosperity and my development? Fourth, is my life strengthened and my standard of life raised as a result of doing this activity? If you cannot truly answer yes, then you are wasting time on things that will not move your life forward or make you fruitful. Rank your priorities because it will determine the results you produce.
Establish strong accountability in your life. If you are truly serious about eliminating distractions in your life, then you need to hold yourself accountable. Years ago I was having challenges getting some key projects done. I would start, stop and then totally lose focus of what I was doing. When I spoke with my mentors and advisors, they agreed to hold me accountable on these projects. That accountability empowered me to give my full energy and attention to these projects. As a result, I had new money making opportunities in my business. Also, I was able to gain more media attention and my influence grew. None of that would have happened without accountability. I knew that when I checked in with my mentors I would have to be honest about my progress. More importantly, I did not want to have to tell them that I did not complete my assignments. So it developed discipline in me and empowered me to hone my focus. Every time I had to report back to them I was able to show them my progress. That season trained me on the power of accountability. In all honesty, most people are not going to be accountable to themselves. So you need someone in your life that will hold your feet to the fire and call you out on your mediocrity. You can keep maxing excuses for why you are not progressing in your life. Or you can establish accountability, execute your goals and make uncommon progress. Accountability is the key to ascending into new realms of greatness.