If you look back at the first two posts in the motivational category (where you’re reading this too), you’ll see the first two: Just Don’t Quit and You Don’t Have To Like It (You just have to do it). This one? Ignore the distractions; focus on the goal! One of the most respected military units in the WORLD today is the Navy SEALs. They are considered the elite of the elite. They are smart, fit, imaginative and simply don’t know how to quit. Do you know what one of their secrets is? Ignoring distractions. What distractions you ask? Things like fatigue, hunger, pain, home sickness, etc. One of the reasons they are so successful in their missions is because they stay focused on the mission until it’s complete. It’s my belief that too many people in the world today – or at least in the world that I know – get so hung up focusing on the challenges and drama that they experience each day, they completely lose focus on accomplishing anything good for themselves, their families or others. All that drama? It’s an unnecessary distraction.
Now, yes… there are certainly events in life that are legitimate distractions. I have children and if one of them is hurt, I’m going to take care of them first and foremost. I have a job and if a big project comes in on short notice, I have to give it due attention. But if my neighbor’s, three doors down, dog dies… I’m not going to wring my hands with worry and grief. Call me cold-blooded but it wasn’t my dog, I don’t know the animal and, having had my own pets pass on, I recognize it as part of the circle of life. Life goes on. In the overall scheme of things, it’s just another life event – and it’s a life event for my neighbor, not me.
The fact is that too many of us worry about too many things that we have no control over and can do nothing about. We fret and get all worked up and, in the long run, all we succeed in doing is giving ourselves high blood pressure and hypertension problems. We might use the added stress as an excuse to eat comfort food, and then we use that same stress as an excuse not to exercise, and maybe we even lose some sleep. What’s the end result? We gain weight, decrease our health and all for something we can’t do anything about anyway.
Focus on your goal – whatever it may be. Want to lose weight? Focus on that. Want to be more fit? Focus on that. Want to increase your level of education? Focus on that. Want to write a book? Focus on that.
Ignore the distractions: unnecessary drama, worry over things you can’t impact, muscle aches because you slept funny, etc. Hunger is a distraction, but you can offset it by eating healthy and at (relatively) scheduled times. Pain is a distraction but you an address it by seeing a doctor as necessary for treatment. The lack of a good night’s sleep, causing you to be fatigued is a distraction. It’s easily resolved by getting a good night’s sleep!
Whatever your goal is… whatever your goals are… focus on them. Schedule the necessary time and plan the requisite steps. Work toward succeeding in reaching that goal. Anything that doesn’t actively support you in the pursuit of that goal is a distraction and must be either ignored or managed appropriately. Doing so will not only increase your chances for success but also the efficiency with which you get there!
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If you appreciated this blog entry, please check out the author’s book, “Above Dirt: Motivational Thoughts Supporting A Positive Outlook,” available on Kindle HERE.
