Steps to Success 

There are a lot of steps that you must take to succeed such as practice, knowledge, ability, perseverance, dedication, humility and diligence, to name a few. Success rarely just lands on your lap without these. But, there is one attribute that nearly encompasses all of these components in one swoop, and that is focus. Focus is defined as having or producing clear visual definition. This clear visual definition propels you forward to success.

Martial Arts & Focus 

Martial artists use focus frequently. Part of this is visualization, especially for competitors who envision themselves winning or reaching a specific goal. Another part is to be present in the moment while practicing and overlooking mistakes for the moment for the purpose of gaining familiarity with a new skill. If you watch martial artists, there is a moment in their practice when their eyes are steadfast and it seems as if no other force around them can penetrate their vision in that moment. They are learning and improving and nothing else defines that moment.

Focus & Life 

You can use this same sense of focus in your life to achieve your goals and work toward success. Success is really a series of steps and actions that lead to the ultimate completion of a goal. First, you need a goal. It needs to be defined and memorialized with concrete steps and milestones.

For example, the goal to lose ten pounds is too general and you will find yourself in a loop of never quite getting there. The real goal is to eat better, lose 1/2 pound a week or every other week, and feel better about how your clothes fit. Have patience to lose weight the right way and reach the goal after a reasonable amount of time.

Focus comes in when you define each step in the goal process and you decide that, to the best of your ability, you will strive to reach the goal through achievable and attainable steps over a reasonable period of time.

Success Steps 

The martial artist who focuses on learning a new skill does the same thing. They recognize excellence does not occur immediately, but requires a series of steps in physical and mental practice. They devote their time to learning each skill to eventually reach a bigger goal.

When I began martial arts and I had to stand in attention, I recall my instructor pointing out my focus to the class.

At first I did not know why he mentioned it. All I was doing was standing with my eyes locked forward and listening intently. That “in-action” of standing still, eyes forward, and listening, defined a focus that I never understood before. I blocked out all else around me to listen for the next command. I knew then that I had lacked focus all my life, until now.

Using focus to achieve success takes time. Create achievable goals that allow you time to learn, engage, improve, and move forward to next steps. Each phase requires focus to move to the next phase. My goal of going to the gym several days per week is not as much about working out as it is about gaining control over the few pounds I gained during pandemic times and getting back to the physical shape I want. I focus on the small successes, like jogging a little further each time or lifting a little more weight. I know where I want to go and I am committed to getting there. I am focused on the person I see myself being.

Block Out Disruptions

Block out negativity or other disruptions that tend to infiltrate when you work toward a goal. There is always something that will get in your way. When you focus on the positive and on where you are headed, you are safe from allowing distractions to impede your direction.

Focus allows all the important skill sets I mentioned earlier to collide. Practice, knowledge, ability, perseverance, dedication, humility, diligence and more are all dependant on your level of focus. If you find yourself struggling to achieve success in any area of your life, step back and assess the level of focus you applied. How often did you take a quiet moment to reflect on the goal, set the milestones, and set your plan in motion? How often did other thoughts distract you from even getting that far?

The good news is that you can get your thoughts and goals back in order with a few moments of focus. Who knows, success may be right around the corner just waiting for you to organize it’s grand appearance.

xoxo

Andrea

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