“Focus protects your goals and dreams from being consumed in small bites, stolen right out from under your nose in 20 minute segments of compromise.” – Priscilla Shirer
How many times have you started something with a level of excitement through the roof only to be distracted and lose focus moments later? I realize that I am one of those people who have bursts of motivation and inspiration, start implementing changes, then get distracted and become a bit complacent until the next burst of inspiration. What that does is leave me with a bunch of unfinished tasks, unreached goals which then leads me to complain about why I’m not succeeding fast enough. Well guess what self? It’s nobody’s fault but your own. Sometimes, you have to be the one to look into the mirror and give a pep talk to the person looking back at you.
Although I make it my mission to share inspirational messages and actionable steps to increase your chances at reaching your goals, I don’t want my readers to paint an unrealistic picture of me as someone who has it all figured out. I face the same struggles you do and I have the same desire to be a better me tomorrow than I was today. I have been on a journey to renew my mind and unlearn everything that isn’t helping me grow but I also know that new habits aren’t born overnight and old habits don’t die easily.
Admitting to myself first and foremost, that I don’t have it all together is the first step towards growing into a better version of myself. So today, I am sharing with you the main thing that I need to work on until it is no longer an issue for me and that thing is FOCUS! Here are 3 ways that I plan to work on remaining focused on what matters:
Have a clear vision & a tunnel vision
I am sure you’ve heard people say that you need to know your ‘why’; what that means to me is that once you have a clear goal and a clear reason why you are pursuing said goal, you will be less likely to get distracted by what your peers or competitors are doing, by the obstacles on your journey or simply by the pressures of life because the vision will continue to pull you forward. It’s also about time we stop letting social media consume our lives in 20 minute intervals that magically transform to 2 hour breaks that we could’ve used to take a baby step toward the finish line. Note to self: Focus on the impact your goals will have on the people who will be blessed by it instead of comparing your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 12. Get rid of the distractions because someone out there is depending on your talents.
Be patient and strive for progress instead of perfection
Raise your hand if you’ve ever implemented a change and then expected results right away? I do this all the time but the truth of the matter is that you have to consistently do something and do it well before achieving the results. Very seldom does one reap lasting results without consistent effort. Note to self: The journey won’t be perfect, but focus on continuously learning and putting in the work no matter how you feel and without excuses. Intermittent effort will only lead to delayed and sporadic success and who wants that?
Be afraid of the uncertainties of life but move forward anyway
Be decisive & committed to the dream so that you don’t give up at the first sign of hardship. No matter which way you go, you will fail at some point so like I recently heard Will Smith say “Fail early, fail often but always fail forward.” We must all stop letting fear deter us from taking a step although it would be unrealistic to think that you’ll never be afraid. The lesson here is to not let the fear of failure, the fear of not being liked, or just the fear of the unknown stop you from trying, from starting, from beleiving. Note to self: Be scared but take the leap of faith anyway because the enemy would love to watch you sabotage your future by being complacent. Focus on giving God praise through your not letting him win.
About the look:
I purchased this velvet blazer in Thailand last summer. You can find a similar one on sale here. Mine is actually a man’s jacket but that’s the beauty of being a woman; we get to enjoy the best of both worlds 🙂 It is definitely the most expensive piece of clothing I own but considering the fact that I can wear it for years to come, I truly believe it was worth the investment. I initially inquired about it just to make small talk with the tailor but he convinced me to try it on and seeing how I was falling in love with it, he proceeded to offer me a decent price, plus he tailored it to fit me. It originally came with a black button but I decided to replace it with a gold one instead and I couldn’t be happier. Besides my HM x BALMAIN blazers (see here & here), this is by far one of my most prized sartorial possessions which is a shocker because I never really cared for velvet… It seems to pay off to try something you wouldn’t necessarily gravitate towards.
I paired the blazer with golden trousers from Zara (similar here) and a green long sleeve blouse also from Zara (shop here). The bag is from Aldo (similar on sale!) and the shoes are by Betsey Johnson.
Well, my darlings, I truly hope you enjoyed reading this post and are inspired to recreate this outfit. No matter what your goals are this month or this year, focus will get you there. This is why it is my one word for this year. What’s yours?
