All Things Inspired

Set your sights toward focusing on your strengths that lead to success!

If you've come this far in your journey of growth, you should begin to see that you are making life-changing strides that can begin to lead to transformational growth, both personally and professionally. You may have a dream of who you want to become and that could be anything. At this point, while you might not be able to achieve that dream just yet, you are capable of being more than what you are today if you continue your progress of growth. Now you must set your sights toward focusing on your strengths that will lead you to that success!

The Oxford Languages Dictionary has several definitions of focus. One was, "A person adapts to the prevailing level of light and becomes able to see clearly." While this definition describes an action, I believe there is a greater metaphorical definition. That is when we begin to focus, we can adapt our behaviors when the things around us come to light and we are better able to see the things we desire more clearly.

Why is focus key to success? Astonishing things transpire when you have a clear vision and stay focused on your goals. The first key to focusing on success is being mentally strong, enabling you to focus. There is a degree of emotionality to being mentally strong enough to focus.

The ability to experience and overcome adversities is what makes a person mentally strong. Mentally strong people overcome the adversities by doing the following:

They maintain a positive attitude - choose to be happy.
They celebrate the success of others - they also take notes on how others achieve success.
They practice being mindful - it involves being engaged in your process and understanding that there are numerous steps along the way.
They avoid self-pity - adversity will always happen; they know when to move on from it.
They change when they need to change - they don't fear change, they welcome change as good.

Wiring your brain to focus can be challenging. You might be struggling with something stressful or experiencing fatigue. When you're facing the need to focus amidst the struggles, it's often helpful to clear your mind with some physical exercise. Taking a walk, doing some yard work, or simply doing some stretching can help you unwind and refocus. When you're faced with struggling to focus, just remember that an arrow can only be shot toward the target by pulling it backward. The meaning behind this is when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great. So, just continue to focus and keep aiming toward your goals.

What is important is that you focus on the goal and not on the distractions. There will always be distractions around us that we can't necessarily control. Chaos that screams for our attention. Regardless, we must put aside the distractions and stay focused, as your focus determines your reality. There are benefits of staying focused. Staying committed to the task at hand, working to improve your focus and increasing you attention span can propel your personal and professional success. Here are four benefits of being focused:

It builds momentum - when you focus on one goal, you are more apt to complete it, keeping you moving in a positive direction and motivating you to achieve the goal you set.
It increases productivity - the more you're able to focus, the more you'll accomplish. Minimizing distractions is a great way to stay zoned-in.
It reduces stress - by focusing on the importance of the goal, you'll be able to minimize any additional tension and pressure that builds with distractions.
It improves the quality of winning - your ability to focus is instrumental to your success. When you are focused on the goal, the quality of your presentation and execution will be greater and will solidify achieving your goal.

Going forward, what should you focus on? What's your strategy? The easy and obvious answer to both questions is your goal. But it goes beyond that. You should focus on your purpose. You should focus on your physical and mental well-being because you are useless without them. If you are physically and mentally well, you can eliminate stress. Do what you can to simplify things in your life. And, most importantly, don't lose your vision, but focus on the present.

When you set clear goals, develop mental strength, eliminate distractions, and continually visualize your success, you will develop the ability to focus and experience success. Again, there will always be adversity. But remember this; grapes must be crushed to make wine. Olives are pressed to release olive oil. Diamonds only form under pressure. There will be times when you are crushed, pressed, or under pressure. When this happens, you are experiencing the power of transformational growth!

There are two facts about life. First, a lot of times things don't happen right away. The second fact, sometimes things happen all at once and that's when you must stay focused and keep grinding. If you do this, you will...

Be inspired! Inspire others!