Where you focus, you will go.
Imagine for a moment that you are peacefully driving along a road when all of a sudden, there is a boulder that lands ahead of you. At this stage, you have two options:
- Stare directly at the rock in shock and fear;
- Look for a safe place to pull over, away from the rock.
If you choose Option 1, you would most likely hit the boulder. Your mind will have a harder chance of signally to steer in a direction that you are not focused on. If you choose Option 2, you have a chance of avoiding that boulder. Our brains are quite simple in certain regards, and the brain processes how to do something you are focused on. By looking where you want to go, you will better position yourself to avoid a collision. Where you focus, you will go. So, look where you want to go.
Another example can be taken from the world of sports. Many people at some point in their lives have kicked a soccer ball (after all Soccer/Football is the most popular sport in the world). If you think back to those moments in your life, you may realize how simple it is to kick the ball – no matter how you may have struggled in your initial learning phase. If it was challenging for you to kick the ball, it was likely a matter of where you were looking. Let’s think back to that movement and where your focus was. First, you look at the ball, you move towards the ball, and you follow through will a swing of your leg while connecting your foot to the ball. Here is the next important factor, wherever you direct your leg and foot the ball will go. Kick your leg towards your teammate or the goal, and you will have a better chance of reaching your intended target. It’s that simple. Well, it is that simple in the sense of fundamentals. (I won’t pretend for a moment that I have great boot, but for the sake of this example I hope you are following)
Sometimes we get distracted by thoughts and others around us. This is when the ball doesn’t go where we intend it to. By focusing on where we want to put the ball, we have a better chance of succeeding at that task.
The same goes for our careers and life. Whatever we choose to focus on will have a better chance of happening than if we didn’t create that focus. There are two sides to this coin, as shown above. Here is a simple description of how it impacts you in your day to day life:
Focusing On Something You Don’t Want
Focusing on what isn’t working can cause a lot of stress. Talking about this stressor and engaging with others about the stressor can create a sense of it being more significant than it is. Yes, there are moments when you need to address a challenging situation; however, a disproportionate amount of focus will lead you away from what you want to achieve.
Focusing On What You Want
Focusing on what you want will give you a far greater chance of achieving the success you want. Our brains have an incredible ability to problem solve without our awareness. When you set a focus and continue to look where you want to go, your mind will find a way to get there. You will naturally make decisions that serve the desired outcome. You may even have moments when you feel the world is “conspiring” in your favour.
Reflect on all that you have accomplished in your life and career. You were able to make those things happen because you focused on them, you put effort into those opportunities, and in all likelihood, you were passionate about whatever you were focused on. This is why you succeeded. This same focus is why you can continue to achieve your goals.
Focus on where you want to go. It’s that simple. Really.