If you listen to any successful person talk about how they got to where they are, a lot of times, the word focus will be mentioned at some point. Everyone wants to be successful, but many of us lack focus. Although we live in this multitasking age, multitasking just does not work. And I am not just talking about daily tasks. I am talking about greater focus in life. Look back and be honest with yourself. Do you consider yourself to be a focused person? I personally do not consider myself to be a focused person. I constantly have to remind myself, “Heather, be focused.” We are constantly getting distracted from what we need to be focused on. Whether we are distracted by our phones, other people, worried thoughts or, you fill in the blank.
There are many parts to your mind. When your thoughts are constantly jumping from here to there, you are wasting energy. Just think about it. Constantly changing the direction of your attention from your original task depletes your energy. You feel all over the place, you get tired and stop working as efficiently as you could. You are using up energy you could be using to achieve your goals. Your focus is like a muscle. You have to choose what you want to focus on and commit to it. Training yourself to stay focused on one thing at a time takes a lot of practice. You have to constantly catch yourself. But just like any muscle, the more you work it out the stronger it gets.
Focus has become a major factor in my life and the way that I do things. Growing up, I was an extremely unfocused child who grew into an adult with ADD (as I was diagnosed in my freshman year of college). My extreme focus issues, I believe, stemmed from my complete lack of focus training. I was, and sometimes still am, a very scatter brained person. But the first step was me being honest with myself and calling myself out on my not being focused enough. Once I did that, I got the help I needed and began using the tools and strategies other people taught me. I watched, listened, and learned from people that had achieved what I wanted to achieve. I went from a C student to an A student. I set my focus on going to UAlbany, and I made it happen. Nothing can stop you from reaching your goals except for the limitations you set for yourself.
If you are not where you want to be or you are not completing tasks up to the level you desire, then it is time to take an honest look at your focus. Get clear about what you need to do. Pick your target, aim, and shoot. Your focus determines your reality. What you focus on is what you move towards. If you focus on the negatives of your life then expect more negative results. Very little can keep you from reaching your true potential if you have clear focus and determination.
Please Note: The views of our student bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the UAlbany Advisement Services Center. These are their stories – their voices.
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