Thursday, October 08, 2009

Focus, concentration and goals...

"Most obstacles in life have no power to stop you but only to make you stop yourself." -Robert Brault.

I wrote a number of years ago that the world has it's fair share of quitters, drop outs and clock watching idlers who are forever thinking of break times, holidays or retirement  I considered myself a self-starter who had a degree of initiative. Today, as I came across what I'd written, I felt uncomfortably close to some of the things I disliked in people...mainly because I'm in danger of losing sight of my main goals because of a few perceived obstacles blocking the way forward.

It was Richard L Evans who said "If wedon't change direction,  we'll arrive at where we are going".

Socrates said "He who would move the world, must first move himself"

I'm beginning to question my motives and motivation now.  I'm the problem, not the obstacles.

I know that money is a powerful motive because we need to feed , house and clothe ourselves. I once read a survey that suggested that 71% of problems across social, marital, health and education had a financil basis so yes, money is necessary... I suppose!

We work hard for money, harder for people and hardest for a cause-for principles or what we believe in.

Eisenhower once said that the great driving forces of the world are not intellectual, but emotional".

Successful people do the following...
  1. Set specific goals
  2. Have enthusiasm
  3. Have concentration / Focus
Well, I seem to be okay for setting goals...even achievable ones. True, I don't always have enthusiasm...it seems to come in bursts- so perhaps I need to look at this.
Concentration, focus or will power is my problem. Today I had eight quality street chocolates on my desk.  I was to have one an hour.  They were all gone within 30 minutes...such will power!

I'm just not focussed enough for some of my main goals! When I was a boy, I put a magnifying glass to my bare leg on a mediocre summer's day and concentrated the light in one small area. It certainly made me move. The urgency to move as quickly has lessened as the years go by.

It has been said that we have great potential, we are potentially great and that it's great to have potential.  It's a different world when we are involved rather than being carried along and are just drifting.

To be fair, in the past my life has been good and even now I've nothing really to complain about ...it's just the current 9-5 slot -the area of one of my main goals, that needs tweaking.

Right!  I'm taking charge!  When?  Soon! (lol)!

Another good day at work and everyone is on each other's Christmas card list again.

Oh No! Did I mention Christmas in October?  Oops!

Time to get EMOTIONALLY involved...perhaps I'll then work my socks off until I've tasted success!

More to come on this subject.

6 comments:

  1. Ken,

    Thanks for using a quote of mine, although I'm a little chagrined at having to share the billing with Socrates. Plato, okay.

    Nice piece. Plenty of good suggestions. Lord knows, I try to have focus and concentration, but it's a little like telling a golfer to have accuracy. There's a trick to it, I think.

    Like you, I'm intrigued by Berowne. It's a busy man who's on the phone even while having his picture taken. Makes me think of using the one of me brushing my teeth.

    smiles,
    rb

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  2. Hi Robert
    Socrates would have said the same had he been blogger-able to.
    The analogy of the golfer really made me chuckle as it fits perfectly.
    Thanks for calling by and setting the tone for the day.
    ps,I bet Socrates never had a fan from the UK.

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  3. I'm amazed the chocs lasted 30 minutes - I could have polished them off in about three mins.

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  4. those quality street would have to be devoured in an instant or given away. I keep shying away from what I should be doing and do what I want to do instead! naughty me.

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  5. Hi FF
    The chocs DIDN'T last 30 minutes...they were all gone WITHIN 30 minutes. 30 minutes reads better than anything less. They did last more than three though.

    Hi Blu
    I was going to ask when your next post will be, but I see there is one ready to read.
    You're right about QS...it's all or nothing! The tin is under our living room chair (out of sight, out of mind). They look far too bright and inviting out in the open and there's no way I'll give them away.

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  6. Great post. Hats off to Mr Socrates. Did someone menton chocolate? :-) TF

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