How to focus?

As I mentioned last week, the objective is to maintain consistency moving forward by publishing an article every week, regardless of the circumstances. So here I am, admittedly unsure of the precise topic I’m going to delve into. However, as this piece unfolds, I’ll undoubtedly uncover something noteworthy that I’ve learned or encountered throughout this week. That newfound insight will inevitably shape the title of this article. Therefore, if you’re currently perusing these words, you’re already acquainted with the subject matter. Let’s embark on this journey, shall we?

Exploring the Inspiration Behind the Topic

I’d like to commence by discussing the events of this week and the inspiration behind today’s topic. If you’re not inclined to delve into these details, feel free to skip this paragraph and proceed to the subsequent one, where the main topic takes center stage. Alright, so over the course of this week, a recurring theme that echoed from numerous individuals revolved around inquiries such as, “How can I maintain focus?”, “What’s the key to sustaining motivation?”, and “I’m genuinely eager to pursue my goals, but my schedule often hampers my efforts.”

The Quest for Focus and Motivation

This barrage of queries took root in my mind so profoundly that this very morning, at approximately 6:05 or 6:15, I dedicated an hour to introspection. I pondered over the reasons behind these challenges. I contemplated the essence of focus. I questioned how certain individuals manage to remain resolute, unswayed by distractions. It’s important to clarify that the insights I’m about to share are personal opinions, not definitive facts. With that established, let’s delve into those questions, and my take on them is as follows:

Misaligned Goals and Priorities

Frequently, it happens that we want to cultivate new habits or discard old ones, yet we often don’t take action. We all have goals and ambitions, but achieving them becomes a struggle. When we fall short, we tend to attribute it to life circumstances, schedules, and other challenges. However, if we examine this situation closely, we realize that it’s not a lack of focus, but rather a misalignment of priorities. Maybe you wish to achieve something, but your focus relies on how much you truly want to attain it, and more importantly, why you want it?

The Role of “Why” in Achieving Goals

I’ve personally observed people who set goals and work diligently towards them, but when they encounter failures or lack of progress, they give up. Have you ever thought about why they do so?

In my view, giving up often happens because we haven’t taken the time to understand the “WHY.” Why do we want to achieve a specific goal? What’s the core motivation? These questions often go unanswered. And because we lack a strong reason, giving up seems like a viable option.

Clarity of Priorities: The True Key to Action

The Role of Priorities

To me, if someone genuinely wants to achieve something, they’ll pursue it relentlessly. And the key difference between those who take action and those who don’t is their “clarity of priorities.”

The Significance of Goals and Habits

It’s not motivation or focus that we lack; it’s clarity. Many of us might aspire to rise early in the morning, yet a significant number fail to act. This is primarily due to our lack of understanding about the “why” behind this intention, and furthermore, we often fail to gauge the extent of our determination to cultivate this specific habit.

In the end, everything boils down to the significance of that goal or habit in our lives.

The Habit of Blame-Shifting

As humans, we often fall into the habit of attributing blame to everything and everyone except ourselves. We seem to resist taking accountability, perhaps due to our aversion to being held responsible. Reflect on this for a moment. When we perform poorly on a test, do we hold the teacher responsible for failing to teach, or do we recognize our own negligence in not paying attention during class? If we struggle to wake up at 6 in the morning, should we blame the person who conversed with us all night, or do we acknowledge that we chose to spend hours on our phones instead of sleeping? Frequently, we overlook the fact that many of our problems are more closely related to our own actions than to anyone else in the world.

Prioritizing Significance Over Immediate Results

If we possess a goal and find ourselves unable to achieve it, or if we abandon our efforts after only a few days due to a lack of immediate results, the true cause isn’t necessarily a deficiency in motivation or an overly packed schedule. Rather, it’s often because that goal doesn’t currently hold significant importance in our lives. We allocate time for what genuinely matters to us, whether it’s habits, relationships, or family matters. Our priorities dictate where our focus is directed.

The Power of a Strong “Why”

Equally important is identifying the underlying reason when setting our goals. We should ascertain why we are pursuing a particular course of action. This is vital because, when our rationale is sufficiently compelling, no matter the number of failures or obstacles we encounter, we won’t relinquish our efforts. We will persist because we comprehend the “why” behind our initial decision and recognize its significance in our lives.

A Personal Journey in Writing

Allow me to share my example. I began writing during the 8th grade and eventually established a blog by the time I reached 20. I started publishing articles sporadically, initially reaching a modest audience of 12-15 readers. I learned about these readers solely through statistics; no one approached me directly or mentioned benefiting from my blogs for an entire year. Oddly enough, the thought never crossed my mind during that time—why write if only a few people are reading? Why invest time in sharing my experiences if they’re going unnoticed? These concerns failed to perturb me because I retained a clear understanding of why I embarked on writing in the first place. My objective was, and still is, to offer assistance to others through my personal experiences. Even if a single individual derives benefit from my writing, my purpose is fulfilled. The quantitative results or numbers have never been my focus; the more, the merrier. This blog consistently serves as a channel for aiding those in need, whether it’s a solitary individual or a multitude, deriving value from it.

Wrapping Up with Gratitude

“People take action towards their goals depending on how strongly and why they desire to achieve a particular aspiration.”

Thank you sincerely for investing your time and reading this far. I look forward to engaging with you again next Friday. I hope this piece has shed some light on why you might have been struggling with certain habits. Although this article wasn’t premeditated, and the information I aimed to convey might not be perfectly precise or meticulously organized, I’m committed to improving and delivering a well-structured, detailed article in the future as my understanding deepens.

As a side note, if you’re seeking insights on how to cultivate habits more effectively, I recommend exploring the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.

Sending an abundance of love. Remember to remain compassionate and stay safe.

Xoxo

-eika ©