The Power of Focus and Persistence

It has often been said that you should focus on what you do right and not on what you have done wrong. Like most of us, I have a tendency to focus on the things that I've done wrong, rather than on what I have done right. I have often lacked the persistence that one needs to be truly successful. It is a struggle that we all face, to be focused and to be persistent.

Persistence is a unique quality. We all need it and yet as a rule very few have it. Many who are truly successful have it. And yet so many of us don't. Abraham Lincoln had it. He literally failed his way to the White House. Failure followed failure, until he became one of the most successful and renowned Presidents this nation has ever known. He did it through focus, determination, single-mindedness, and persistence. Walt Disney had it. He went bankrupt several times before he opened the Magic Kingdom. Col. Sanders had it. He tried over 1000 times to find someone who would finance his new restaurant idea prior to finally finding the funding that allowed him to open Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The history of the world is replete with similar examples. People who have overcome great obstacles to accomplish great things. But more importantly, just regular people like you and I who are able to live a better life, as a result of learning how to utilize these talents. A world where we are better able to accomplish what we want and feel better about ourselves.

Focus is the ability to set everything else aside, while concentrating on one thing that needs to be accomplished. Persistence is the ability to continue doing what you need to do, in spite of obstacles in the way. By being focused and persistent, we can accomplish much that we would otherwise be unable to accomplish. We could write a book or start a new business or help other people. We could get a better job. We could attend our children's sporting events. We could take our family on vacation. We could pay off all of our debts and obligations. In short, we could have a better life.

In order to be focused, we should practice concentrating on just one thing at a time. Forget multitasking and concentrate. Concentrate on that one thing, that one task. Work on it. Think about it. Study it. Accomplish it. This requires that we schedule a time where we can be uninterrupted with other tasks. Pick a task that you would truly like to see accomplished, something meaningful, something important. Then focus on working on that task until it is completed.

In order to be persistent, simply continue coming back to that task no matter what interruptions you have. Until the task is completed to your satisfaction. Don't give up. Just continue coming back until you have finished it.

Like a bloodhound, following a scent. Like a weed growing through a crack in the sidewalk. Like a toddler learning to walk or talk. Focus, determination, persistence.

By combining these skills, you open up a whole new world. A world where goals are no longer dreams but actual accomplishments. A world where your goals and aspirations are now reality. A world of your choosing.