Focus On What You Can Control

Focus On What You Can Control

Having a good day has everything to do with how you focus your attention. You can't control life or business, but you can control your focus. When you start focusing on what you don't have, it's only natural that your day will go downhill . Conversely, if you only focus on what's in front of you, then that's what will change.

Stuck here on earth for an extended period of time, you really only have three existential traits you can control: your vision, your values, and your focus. Given these constraints of time and space, the only thing you can focus on is what's in front of you. You can't control the past or the future, but you can decide what to focus on today. You can't control what your competitors are doing or not doing, but you can control your focus. You don't have the authority to change others, but you do have the power to change how they affect you by choosing to focus on what you can control.

Stephen Covey struck a chord in most of us twenty years ago when he introduced our need for Vision, Values, and the importance of Focusing On What We Can Control in his landmark book The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People . Since then, I think most of us have become more aware of the power of controlling our focus.

But are you really doing it? Realistically, are you?

Sometimes, when I ask someone what they are focusing on in their life or business, I get the same answer every time, "I'm focusing on our future". When asked to clarify what they mean by that particular focus of the future, more often than not they respond with examples of things that aren't in front of them that are beyond their control.

Someone might say, 'I'm focused on expanding our market share.'

Then they'll list several things that they don't control such as product research and development, advertising and sales. They then say they believe that these things will lead to the expansion of their market share.

But what is in front of them? They can't control the future of their products, but they can control the present of their products. They can't control their competitors, but they can control their focus.

If I asked the same individual what they are focusing on today, they would naturally say things like, 'I'm focused on doing my best at work.'

Then they'll talk about what is in front of them, the things that are under their control like their products or employees.

They might say something like this, "I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with our sales people. Their performance lately has not been good enough. I do what I think I can do to manage them, but they still aren't doing their jobs. We're always behind in sales and that's why we're consistently falling short of our goals."

What is in front of this person? They can control how they treat their employees, but they can't control what the employees actually do. They might believe in their heart that the goal even if it isn't a realistic one, but they must deal with what is in front of them in the present situation they are in.

I wonder if this is how most of us are thinking about our own lives. I think most of us are so focused on the things beyond our control that we have no idea what's in front of us or what can be accomplished today. We talk about all the things we want the future to be, but never do anything to make it happen right now.

By focusing on what we desire to accomplish in the future, we are hoping that the things we don't control will take care of themselves. We want our futures to be determined by something outside of our control, but we're hoping that our focus will increase profitability and sales and bring us closer to our goals by looking ahead and seeing what's coming.

I don't believe this is a good way to approach life or business. Whatever happens in the future is out of your hands and nothing you can do now will determine it. The future has no obligation to you and it's not there until it's actually here. The future may come all together or piece by piece, but it will not magically fall into your lap through the power of focus.

Stephen Covey was right; we need to have Vision, Values, and Focusing On What We Can Control in our lives. When we stop living in the future and start experiencing the present, then our future success will become much more likely. If you're not focused on your values because you are constantly looking to the future to solve your problems, then you are doing yourself a disservice. You are robbing yourself of living life in an engaged state of awareness by attempting to control things beyond your control.

If you want to make your day better, if you want to make any day better, look at what is in front of you first.

What are you focused on today? What are you focusing on now? If your vision is so big, so wide, so broad that it takes up most of your focus for the entire day, then your vision will have to wait.

If you want to make business or life better, do yourself a favor and focus on what is in front of you.

Take the time to become more aware of what's actually in front of you. Then you can improve your awareness of what is in front of those around you. Then you can help them become more aware as well.

Focus on what is in front of you first and then everything else will fall into place. If it doesn't, then that's a clue that what you're focused on isn't there yet, but soon will be.

What's in front of you right now, right this second is the only thing that matters. It's the only thing you have control over. Focus on that.

Hope you enjoyed the post.

So be inspired to begin thinking and focusing on what you can control and not be so focused on the future. Let me know if this article was helpful and if it inspired any thoughts for you. I'd love to hear from you.

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