Focusing on the goal is important in sports, but it is just as important when trying to accomplish an important task in life.
Do you have times when you are trying to complete a task, go in a new direction, or start a new project, only to get sidetracked? Life happens, obstacles loom, or nay-sayers can discourage the process! But once we let discouragement set in, we have already begun the process of failing.
A small group of people who live in the Mobile Home Park where I live has been working on a project for nearly two years now. This is no small project! We have tried several approaches, with a low success rate and a high discouragement rate! We have had people trying to block our efforts, agencies going back on their word to help, and honestly, people lying to us and about us!
Earlier this week, we received an email, once again, trying to set us back! It is times like these that I need to sit back and start to examine what is happening. I need to stop, quiet my mind, and pray for perfect direction.
Here are some of the things I have learned during this process:
- Not everyone who commits to help and support follows through, sometimes without explanation!
- Don’t listen to the naysayers or give in to negative talk. It is only a distraction!
- Setbacks and mistakes are a learning experience, often guiding us to new information so we can pivot our actions
- Keep changing the negative appearance by expressing with affirmative talk and mindset
- Focus on the goal to stay true to the mission/task
Planning and collaborating on projects can be more effective when we become clear on what we need to accomplish. Honestly, I am a task- or project-oriented person. I want to develop a plan and then act on it. Because of that strong drive within me, I tend to be more persistent (or maybe just being stubborn) in staying focused. But, I know that I will never reach the goals I abandoned!
I found a quote from Ernest Holmes that supports focusing on the goal from a spiritual position:
Feed your mind with nourishing thoughts,just as you feed your body with nourishing food.Feed your mind with faith, hope and enthusiastic expectancy. Replace every doubt with a faith stronger than the doubt.