Focus on What is Working

October 21, 2014
|
Terri Maxwell

Focus on What is Working

We all know that we get what we focus on, but how can we actually change what we focus on?
Find out where to focus your self-improvement journey. Take our free Self-Transformation Assessment course.
LEARN MORE!

Most Succeed On Purpose followers have heard the story of “You Get What You Focus On” however, this post is not about the lesson itself. This is about how to apply that lesson and make it work. We all know that we get what we focus on, but how can we actually change what we focus on?

I’ve noticed that people struggle to not only to adjust focus, but also to maintain that change.

3 Techniques for Changing Focus

There are three techniques to equip you to actually change your focus:

  1. Evaluate What Shows Up
  2. Deal with the Difficult, but Don’t Focus on It
  3. Realign Focus to What is Working

We have previously focused on Technique 1 and Technique 2. This week we are going to focus on Technique 3.

Technique 3: Realign Your Focus to What IS Working

The last technique is one I learned over the course of this past year. It turns out to be the easiest to implement. In order to ensure I am focused on the good I want to create, I must consciously change my focus from what isn’t working to what it is I want to create.

When things start to go off track in life, we pull attention away and start to worry. The truth is, however, that anytime we focus on what isn’t working, it immediately moves the focus back to that stuff. Instead, put the focus on what you want to create.

There are two tips that I use to accomplish this:

Make a list of what is working

When things appear to go wrong in life, and they will, I stop and make a list of what is working. This simple act takes the focus off of what isn’t working, and puts it where it belongs…on what is working.

This is incredibly powerful. By powerful, I mean that not only does the stuff that isn’t working all of a sudden seem inconsequential, but the shift in focus also causes life to improve immediately.

I’ve been doing this for the one year now, and I’ve seen more abundance and joy in my life in the last year than ever before. I attribute it to this technique!

It’s so powerful in fact that I’ve started to do this proactively, which is leads us to the second tip.

Practice realigning your focus each day

Almost every day now, I make a journal entry and list the things that are working.  So before anything bad appears to happen, my mind is already equipped with a list of the things that are working.

Cool, huh?  And I’ve noticed something very interesting. When those “bad” things pop up, they don’t seem so bad because once I make a list of items that are working, it’s like my focus is now re-calibrated in a more positive direction.

As I travel around the country speaking, I become increasingly aware of how popular the phrase “You Get What You Focus On” is becoming. I meet people who’ve heard me speak, and they always recite that phrase.

It’s more than a phrase to me, though. It’s a map for a perfect, purposeful and abundance-filled life. It’s more than a story, and it’s more than wisdom.

It’s the missing ingredient for an extraordinary life.

I want you to have that kind of life. I want you to have the kind of life that is abundantly rich and magically blessed. It’s possible if you change your focus, and changing your focus requires learning and applying new techniques. I hope the tools shared today will assist as you focus on a better life.

Isn’t it time to focus on what you want to create?

With the soulfulness of Wayne Dyer and the entrepreneurial spirit of Richard Branson, Terri is a world-class business growth expert, social impact investor, and serial entrepreneur whose purpose is to inspire potential. With her own money, Terri built a portfolio of purposeful companies, Share On Purpose, Inc., and now invests in and creates mission-driven start-ups.

In a career that spans more than 25 years, Terri has launched, owned, sold, rebranded or turned around more than 40 companies. She is known for her game-changing business models and personal transformation frameworks.

Everything she built came directly from a wellspring of perseverance and soulful resiliency, which she openly shares through her first purposeful brand, Succeed On Purpose.


Passion or Paycheck? What’s Your Second Act?
So, you've accomplished a lot in your career and are considering making a shift. You're ready for your Second Act.
The Future of Outplacement
Laid-off employees are entering an entirely different workforce and may need vastly different skills to be competitive. However, you can ease the transition by offering employees an outplacement service in their severance package.
Making the Unexpected Leap from Employee to Freelance Professional
Many professionals are finding themselves in the midst of an unplanned career shift and have wondered, “What’s next?” Some are choosing to take their skills to the freelance marketplace, albeit reluctantly.