Wow, seven days since my last post. I wanted to stop writing for a few days to test what happened to the forum traffic, but a lack of focus meant a few days turned into a week.
Having talked to a few people this week, it seems a common problem. But, does it have to be that way?
NO, not at all. Here I outline the big mistake that people make when setting goals which can prevent you from keeping focus upon the important tasks.
The BIG mistake
Read any self help book these days (trust me, I’ve read a lot of them) and you will find all end of suggestions on keeping focused. Most of them give you some practical tips such as keeping a tidy work space, planning your activities etc, but there is one area most of them fall flat. What is that area? Vision.
What is Vision. Vision is knowing why you want to achieve what you set out to achieve. What are the advantages of it and what kind of lifestyle you will enjoy when you get there. For many people, this is motivation enough, but scientific research has shown, that people have an inbuilt tendency to believe the way life works out, happens for a reason and in hindsight we always believe it happened for the best. Read carefully now and I’ll describe the big mistake in most books on this subject.
Let me put it another way, we set out with the best of intentions and with high motivation of achieving a better life. However, on our way there we may look at our life and think, actually it was ok the way it was, and then we start to slow down and lose focus. Look back at anything in your life that happened, isn’t there something that occurred as a result of that event which made you think, it had to happen or this other thing would not have happened? Research suggests that we all thinking this way, and that is the root cause of the mistake.
Think about it, when you set goals you:
- Think of something that you would be happy achieving
- Something that will leave you satisfied
- Something which you think is worthy of being completed
Now, think back to the root cause of the mistake I mention above. What are the consequences or most likely occurrence:
- You lose motivation as forget what advantage this satisfaction will bring
- The false feeling that you got away with being unfocused for so long and you survived, so allowing yourself to be unfocused a little more will not harm you.
- You remain unfocused and unmotivated.
How to fix it
Yes, the following ARE IMPORTANT
- Setting you goals and making them measurable, sensible and time restrained
- Having a tidy workspace and all that
- Knowing what helps you work and avoiding distractions
BUT the BIG MISTAKE is thinking this is enough.
There is one crucial step most ‘experts’ seem to leave out. Most will tell you to think of positive goals and keep thinking of the positive but I argue this is a mistake. YOU MUST THINK OF THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE’S OF NOT COMPLETING YOUR ACTION.
The BIG Mistake, The missing step to keeping Focus
So, the mistake is clear. Human nature means we often forget the incentive to stay focused as our minds have a natural tendency to believe everything eventually turns out for the best. Keeping a positive goal will not change this mindset, reminding yourself of the consequences will.
Why is it that most student have four weeks for an assignment but often they leave it to the last minute? Why is it that you have important work to do, but you focus on the less important tasks until you have no choice? BECAUSE YOU ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
There is however a simply easy way to overcome this BIG mistake and here it is:
When ever you create you goals and you stick them up on your wall, also write down the consequences of not achieving them. Trust me, this one is powerful. By not meeting your goal what will happen. What will you miss out on, what improvements in your life will be jeopardised and what will even be worse then it is now.
For me this is simple. As part of my challenge, if I do not make money by the end of next week, I have nowhere to live and nothing to eat, simple. But, I was always focusing on the positive that I will make money and somehow started to relax. By reminded myself of the consequences I now have no choice but to take action NOW.
Remember out brains have a tendency to think things will work out for the best, and we have to shake that belief. We have to prove to ourselves that life will not be better unless we take action and we have to remind ourselves what we have to lose. Write these things down and also place it on your wall next to your goals. It will act as a reminder that your goals will offer some advantage to accomplish and life will be worse if you do not complete it.
Final thoughs:
Everyday you need to remind you of both the goal and the consequences of not achieving them. The reason for this is scientific yet most of us get caught up in being overly positive and forget to remind ourselves constantly that you truly believe completing your goals will lead to a better life. A colleague of mine taught me a great 5 minute routine, which you should complete every morning to help you stay focused. I will put this on my blog via a video message in the coming days. I hope by then, you will have already started considering the consequences of not completing your goals.
