“The most important knowledge is that which guides the way you lead your life” Leo Tolstoy
I hope you are having success with your New Years resolutions. If not, what may be hindering you is not a lack of resources or skills, but a lack of attention.
One distraction I see too often is people becoming focused on others’ success instead of their own. With things like fantasy sports teams, celebrity news, or even business news outlets like Forbes, it is all too easy to become invested in someone else’s success and cease investing in yourself.
Much like getting inspiration from the biography of a successful individual, it is possible to get a certain amount of inspiration from these things. If too much attention is given to these things though, you will lose the momentum that propels you to your goals. You might even begin to prefer to observe success from the sideline rather than partake in it. Keep in mind that the attention you give these things only increases their success and value, not your own.
If you are able to identify a sport, team, individual, or media outlet that is more distracting than inspiring, it is important to take steps to limit or even eliminate them from your attention. Ask yourself how you can practically limit your exposure to the distraction. For example, if you find you have dedicated certain hours of the day to a distraction, instead choose to fill that time with an activity that will help you complete your goal. If there are certain blogs and web news sources that suck your attention whenever you have a free moment, remove these sites from your favorites or delete the apps that accesses these sites. If in your car you find that listening to sports or celebrity news drains your focus, instead listen to an audio book that focuses on your goals.
Because it is important for to me to not lose focus, I have personally chosen not to follow any sports, celebrities, or news at all. If i did give attention to these things, I would not be able to give as much to my family, goals, job, or this blog.
As this new year progresses, continue to evaluate whether your focus is where it needs to be to get you where you are trying to go.
Thank you,
Rogelio H. Charles