Focus on a target and hold it there…

“I don’t care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target and hold it there, you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.”

Zig Ziglar

Getting started is easy. Choosing a target is easy. Writing out a plan of attack, you guessed it, easy too. 

What’s hard? These four words, “and hold it there.”  Yet, this is the key to long-term success. This is the key to unlocking the potential buried inside yourself. One must have relentless drive, determination, persistence, and patience. Sticking with it, holding your focus when it gets hard, that’s when the magic happens.

Success isn’t a lottery ticket. You can’t depend on getting lucky; you count on doing the work, the hard, brutal, sweat-inducing work. To everyone on the outside, it might look easy, but you’ll know better. Hold it there… 

What are the flywheels of your desired life?

“Your input determines your outlook. Your outlook determines your output, and your output determines your future.”

Zig Ziglar

One of my favorite leadership tomes is “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. Even after more than twenty years, the principles of effective organizational leadership outlined are just true today as the day the book was written. Some examples cited in the text as great organizations are no longer excellent or even in existence due to a failure to adapt to evolving market conditions or were destroyed by self-inflected shifts in focus and discipline. Regardless of how the examples cited fared, the principles of greatness are enduring.

Why do I bring this up? Meditating on the quote above brings to mind the power of the flywheel. When you identify those things that create momentum and compel progress, it becomes a self-sustaining and powerful driving force in your life. 

The simple image below highlights the cycle demonstrated through the quote above. How would this apply in the different domains of your life? Faith? Health? Work? Etc? What’s your flywheel?

A personal health flywheel example

We only get one…

“Time can be an ally or an enemy. What it becomes depends entirely upon you, your goals, and your determination to use every available minute.”

Zig Ziglar

How many hours do you need in your day?

How many lifetimes do you get to live?

Is one enough?

One life is all we get, what do you need to do differently to make yours count?

No fear…

“With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt.”

Zig Ziglar

With so much of the United States, and the rest of the world, on some type of quarantine or “work from home” restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic there has never been a better time for individual integrity to shine through.

Doing the right thing, even if no one is watching, is the thing that separates man from beast. When morals, principles, and a higher purpose outweigh baser instincts, then good triumphs over evil and courage defeats fear.

There is never any guilt when you have done the right thing. So stay home, work hard, and demonstrate courageous care for our fellow man by doing the right thing, even if no one is watching…

Focus!

“I don’t care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.”

Zig Ziglar

Finishing out my 2020 3-words exercise is the word “Focus.” Knowing what to do, and how to do it, and having the ability to do it is meaningless if you can’t actually get it done. In order to get it done you have to be very judicious in the application of the word “no.”

I chose “focus” because that has a much more positive connotation than the word “no.” If I am going to start each and every day reviewing my 3-words and using those words as key anchors for the day I want the word to be positive, not negative. Knowing what to focus on is the key to being able to say “no” when appropriate and with extreme prejudice.

So my three words for 2020 are “Discernment,” “Authenticity,” and “Focus.” Landing on these three words took a great deal of thought and prayer and I am really excited to seeing how they will impact my life throughout the year. Beginning each day with these words will help me apply the meaning of this verse, ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ‘ Romans 12:2

Will over skill…

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

Zig Ziglar

There are some incredibly smart people in the world that unfortunately just can’t get out of their own way. It is always frustrating to see someone with tons of talent and ability have an attitude that is an anchor that just holds them back and ends up sinking them. How does this happen? Do they not get the feedback they need along the way? Do they not listen? How do we ensure that we never become one of “those people” with the bad attitude?

Help me, help you…

“I believe that you can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

Zig Ziglar

What percentage of your time do you spend seeking to understand and help other people with their challenges? How does this compare to the time spent on yourself and your challenges? When I think about these questions I am pretty convicted. I know I don’t spend as much time as I should seeking to help others get what they want. It isn’t that I don’t want to, not at all, I just need to be more intentional with my efforts and energy.

How do you keep a focus on helping others front and center? What are the right questions to think about as you enter any conversation or relationship? Here are a few that I am going to start using at the beginning and ending of each day as framing questions to ensure that I am focused on helping and serving others.

  • Start of the day: Who can I intentionally seek to help achieve something they want today? What questions do I need to ask in my conversations to ensure I am focused on helping others?
  • End of the day: Who did I help today? What did they want or need that I was able to assist with? What did I hear or see that creates an opportunity for me to help someone achieve their goals?

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dusty

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