The Importance of Focus

We need 'focus' in our everyday lives to achieve our goals or targets. We need self-discipline to stay on track. Our battle with Multiple Sclerosis is a never ending battle and there are very few lulls in the fighting and because of that we need focus more than most. The need for focus begins with little things, with attainable targets. We need 'our little victories' as Claire Mitchell wrote in her recent blog. The longest journey begins with one step. Take the first step and set yourself a target, the second step is to set a route plan to reach the target and the third step is a celebration having reached your goal.

These two lines from the poem ‘Don’t Quit’ define focus in my opinion ...'when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don’t you quit'. We need our little victories to encourage us to keep going. Start small with realistic and attainable targets. There is no point in saying that I am going to walk one mile every day as an immediate target. Start small. I will walk 100 yards a day for the next week and then increase it to 200 etc. Re-assess your goals on a regular basis and don’t be afraid to downsize. Work within a comfort zone but strive to move outside of it. Stay mentally strong because very often mental strength is more important than physical strength.

Decide on your goal. Weigh up the benefits of reaching your target and consider the disbenefits of inaction. Seek the help of a professional in deciding the route to your target and choose a realistic time frame within which to achieve it. Unrealistic targets or timescales will only disappoint you and this will ultimately break your determination and destroy your focus. Keep a daily record of what you achieve and this can help you determine whether you are doing what you should be doing. This is an instance when more than the thought counts.

There are a number of different words to describe focus when taken in the context of this blog; self discipline and perseverance being the two that I like most.

Focus is only important if you have set yourself a goal, a target to be achieved or a destination to be reached. Thus, if you don’t have a target you can never reach it. An ill-defined target is of no use. You cannot set out a pathway to achieve a goal unless you have set a goal. Putting it at its simplest; if you want something and don’t have the cash to pay for it you save. If you save enough you get your desired product. (Borrowing doesn’t count!!). While you are saving there will be tough choices to be made; if I buy this I can’t save that money and my target is still out of reach but if I don’t buy and save my target is nearer to my grasp.

Some authors on the importance of focus, recommend telling people about goals in the hope that they will then act as monitors of your progress. Personally, I believe in keeping my goals to myself, however I do keep a daily log. Honesty with oneself is very important, dishonesty is only fooling yourself and ultimately leads to disappointment!

The Importance of Focus