Focus Small to Achieve Great
In life we often have a vision of where we want to be physically, emotionally, career, etc. But we quickly lose enthusiasm when we focus on the end goal. I disagree with the people who say you should focus on the ultimate goal every day…that just becomes depressing. But don’t despair, just change your focus.
Goal setting is a great thing and I agree it should not be diluted by your current thinking or your current financial or physical health. Dream big and dream bold. However once you have your ultimate goal set, stop focusing on it.
A big goal should be way out of our comfort zone and well beyond our state in the present moment. As such the achievement of that goal can seem impossible. As we all well know, the idea is then to break down that goal into small achievable steps, this is nothing new. However where I differ from others is in where our focus should lie. You’ve heard the saying always keep one eye on the prize, in other words focus on the goal, have a Vision Board, review it every day. I think this is wrong for a couple of reasons –
1. Goals change. As we progress and improve, that goal we set yesterday can seem a little off the next day. If we focus completely on the achievement of that goal, I can guarantee it will be unfulfilling when you get there. Don’t be afraid to adjust and change your goals as you change as a person.
2. There are good days and bad days on our way to our goal and focusing on the ultimate goal on your bad days only leads to a feeling of helplessness and failure. It’s at these times you need to bring your focus to the absolutely smallest step you can take on the path, and completely forget about the big picture.
And finally cut yourself some slack without giving up. Accept that some things are out of your control and some days you actually seem to move further away from your goal. Stop focusing on the ultimate goal every day, focus on the small steps. They key is to keep plodding along no matter how small the steps…
