3 Questions to Ask Yourself in Order to Improve Your Ability To Focus

Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why? Have you ever sat down at the computer to do something productive but wound up losing a huge chunk of time on Facebook? What about when you go the store for one specific item but end up buying a bunch of stuff that you really didn't need and maybe not even what you went for in the first place?
The problem is lack of focus.
You're not directing your energies or your thoughts toward what it is you really want. And the consequences are apparent.

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Hey Look At Me!
In today's hyperconnected world where there are thousands of things vying for our attention it's easy to see how it is extremely difficult to develop the skill of staying focused. There are hundreds of television networks, hundreds of radio stations, millions of websites, a constant stream of status updates, a flow of work related emails, a full schedule of meetings and conference calls, text messages,  tweets, breaking news, billboards, sign twirlers, commercials, crying babies, needy teens, demanding spouses, chatty friends, and the dinner in the beeping microwave oven.

All these things are demanding your undivided attention but how many deserve it? Better question - which of these things if any, would make you and your life better if you really focused on it?

A Hunk or a Slice of Cheese
Ever since I was a kid I've really enjoyed having cheese on Ritz crackers or on my sandwiches. The problem used to be, when I cut the block of cheese, the slices would come out angled and uneven. No matter how straight I held the knife when I began to cut, I would end up with a hunk that would start off nice and thin at the top but jagged and thick at the bottom. Now, while still edible, these hunks were impractical and awkward and made for lopsided meals.

I asked my mom how her slices always came out uniform when she prepared it and she told me the secret was to direct my focus on the slice of cheese being sliced - not the block from which it was being sliced.

And the Results Are...
What are you focusing on when it comes to living your life? Where are you directing your energy? The issue you focus is where your energy goes. That's where your results come from.
When it comes to our careers, most of us, if we're honest, only focus on four things. Short term, we focus on what we're having for lunch and then making it to the end of our shift. Long term we focus on making it to the weekend and to our next paycheck. And the majority of the working class is very successful in achieving those goals. It doesn't take much energy to do that little. So we spend some energy while at work checking Facebook (a few dozen times). And maybe then we let our minds wander to what we'll watch on television later, or what we'll do this weekend. Then somewhere throughout the day we complain and gossip with our friends and co-workers about our lives and problems and other lives and their problems. And before we realize it we've spent a massive amount of energy on absolutely nothing productive. As a result, we're tired and we have a empty, unsatisfactory life that reflects our lack of focus and directed energy.

Focus is the Magic - Not Hocus Pocus
Magicians and pickpockets rely on sleight of hand to create the illusion of something either magical or out of the ordinary. They distract you by steering your focus in one direction while deceiving or robbing you somewhere else.
That's what social media, television, gossip and other distractions are doing to your potential success -- robbing you of your energy and focus. 
What would happen if you decided that, when it comes to your job, you really wanted to get promoted? Not just promoted, but you decided exactly what job and salary you wanted to make? What if you made achieving that your primary goal and focused all available energy toward making it happen? I can pretty much guarantee that whoever is running the company where you currently work took that same approach. He or she didn't just keep showing up for work, doing the minimum, focusing on who liked their Facebook status update and complaining about things they had no intention of ever putting any effort into changing. Those habits don't obtain the results they wanted. 

3 Questions
There are three questions anyone who is serious about achieving their goals and realizing real success must ask themselves and answer honestly. The answers to these questions will act as the guideposts which will keep you on task and on track. 

1. What is it that I want? 
Is it a more quality time with my family? A promotion to a specific position at work? To make a certain salary? Start my own business?
You have to determine what you want with extreme specificity. You cannot be vague in your desires because it's impossible to focus on vague targets. You'll only net unsatisfactory results. You may say you want more money but would $1 be sufficient? Be very specific.

2. How will achieving this desire affect my life? 
If you don't really care about the results then you won't make the efforts. You will find it close to impossible to direct and keep your focus on the goal. Another way to put it, what is your motivation?
For most people, how they feel, is the great motivating factor in choosing why they do or don't do anything. A very real world example can be learned from drug addiction. When an addict wants to feel the sensation of being high there is very little they won't do to get there. They will lie, steal, hurt or even kill if their motivation (or jones) is strong enough.
​Of course I'm not suggesting you should be ruthless enough to harm others in order to achieve your goal but you must be motivated enough to be determined to get the "high" that comes from achieving your goal. ​

3. What am I willing to sacrifice to get what I want? 
Most often the answer to this question should be comfort. Developing new positive, productive habits is relatively easy but breaking negative, unproductive habits is usually more difficult because they're a part of a comfortable way of living. If spending more quality time with your family is something that you really want you will have to spend less time in front of the TV. You will have to find and attend events and participate in activities that you may have never considered. You will have to put down your phones and tablets and direct you focus on the people you care about. If you're not willing to sacrifice the things that make your comfort zone comfortable, then you will continue to get the results of that mindset and lifestyle.

Having a clear vision of what you want and why will help you get focused. Having the resolve to push through the obstacles which you will encounter will help you stay focused. While it's easier said than done, the results are definitely worth your effort.

What has lack of focus prevented you from achieving? What one thing could improve most if you were better focused? 

Jonathan McMillan is a success strategist and inspirational speaker. He specializes in gang intervention/desistance strategies, adult & youth leadership development, community engagement, goal setting, empowered identity building, critical thinking skill development and interpersonal relationship development. 

Please contact him at [email protected] for booking information