Feedback Form

FOCUS

FOCUS

Everyone knows the value of focus, of concentrated single-minded attention - like keeping your eye on the ball. Yet, how easily we lose focus on our way to the achievement of a goal. That can a sales goal, a personal, business or career goal. Those ol' lions of doubt and fear keep coming up in the form of internal chatter. You know the chatter, "You won't make it. The customer will say 'no'. You're not good enough, fast enough, smart enough,"...or some other "not enough" meant to discourage you. But why is that? Why do those voices persist?

Well, there's all kinds of conjecture; from disfunctional family, to flat feet, to former failures that haunt your thoughts. Who knows for sure? No one. Those lions of fear and doubt serve a purpose. They keep you from attempting to jump a big puddle in your new sneakers. Doubt says, "You might not make it." Fear says, "What will your Mom have to say about ruining the look of those new sneakers?" Fine, so far. But by the time you're an adult, the lions have no business jumping in on every new adventure or new thought you have about going for some goal...or some gold.

So, what's this got to do with focus? A lot. Focus, on its own is a worthwhile verb. But for the purpose of the rest of this article, focus also be used as an acronym: F.O.C.U.S. = Fearless Outrageous Commitment to Unwavering Success. Here's a distinction to think about. I first came across it, listening to a tape by Dr. Barbara Sher. She used smoking, and the goal to quit, as an example. Essentially, she said that there is a big difference between those who "want to quit", and those who "wish they wanted to quit".

Do you have a FOCUS, or do you wish you had a FOCUS? Are you fearlessly outrageously committed to unwavering success, or do you have a lack of courage and a surplus of waver? Let start with the courage issue, and how to get rid of the wishy-washy approach. To do that, we'll first come back to those lions, that discouraging (did you catch that?) chatter and negative self-talk. How do we quiet those rascels down? Now, before you let out that sigh, as though this were a rhetorical question. Stop. There are ways! With a simple process of "inner work", the lions can be tamed.
And here it is, for your reading pleasure, and your lifelong companion:

There are three steps. Step One: Stop and be. Just be quietly aware of the present moment. When the chatter starts up (which it will, in a nanosecond), return to simple quiet awareness - again and again and again. Look around your environment and suspend any internal narrative. After a few attempts at this, you'll notice a palable settling down and inner quiet that naturally moves you into a state of relaxation. Step Two is designed to lengthen the time in Quiet Awareness. Notice your breathing. Notice when you inhale and notice when you exhale. Stay in Quiet Awareness and overlay it with Breath Awareness. This will keep you in Quiet Awareness longer, make it easier to return and prolong the relaxation time. It takes practice. But the results can be astounding.
Sounds too simple. But try it.

One more. Step Three: After a few days, weeks, months or years practicing the Quiet Awareness with Breath Awareness (you'll know when you're ready - maybe), begin to "listen" internally. To localize this internal listening and move it from a vague listening to a stabilized contained listening, listen to your heart. Yes, your heart. A little aside here: The heart has neural cells (brain cells), and depending on who you read, a lot of them. So, listening to your heart may not be all that "cosmic". Also, keep in mind that when we think of someone who is wise, and kind and loving and compassion (those are on your list of good things to own, right?), we don't say they have a good brain. We say they have a good...what? Right. Heart. The heart can offer the brain a "wisdom whisper" that will change your life perspective like a thunderbolt! No words, just a new clarity about who you are, and what your purpose is in this life.

That's it. Quiet Awareness, overlaid with Breath Awareness and later, Heart Awareness. To describe what will happen is impossible. OK, I'll give it college try: You will have discovered a wonderful stress management tool that at a minimum, is a way to quiet those lions, that will pay handsome dividends in your business and personal relationships. The maximum is definitely beyond words and must be experienced directly. Enlightenment is bandied around a little too blithely these days

Now you can move on to the "Outrageous". An anon quote: Be outrageous. It's the only place that isn't crowded. This is tied to "Commitment". You don't really need to have "Outrageous Commitment" explained. You know when you're outrageously committed, and you know when you're not. Same with
"Unwavering". Now "Success" is something that you might think is different for everyone. Nope.
Same for everyone. Oh, stop shaking your head. What's on your success list? Not the same as on mine, or your best friends, or your bosses, or your subordinates. But...what are the lists about?
Yes, you in the back of the room? Right...happiness and contentment. That's the measure. Same for everyone. See? Good for you.

PS: To help you remember the relaxation, or meditation, process, you might use the non-word
"Q,Baha" as a "mantra" for a while until you can naturally flow with the Quiet Awareness to Breath Awareness to Heart Awareness. Some of my clients like to use "Q" as a...cue. On the inhale, they silently say "Q" and on the exhale, slowly and gently say "Ba...Ha". Have fun.





FOCUS - To learn more about this author, visit Jeff Belyea's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Related Forum Posts Article Feedback
Article Feedback No article feedback found.
Leave Your Feedback

Related Articles Related Articles
Ever notice how some people can relentlessly pursue their goals while others languish in minutiae
  Ever notice that the first group invariably achieves what they set after, while the later group often falls victim to "might have been's"? We all think that there is something special about those people who pu...
Build Your Foundation
  My biggest issue has always been my lack of focus, so one of my New Year's resolutions is to step back in so many places, particularly my businesses, to assure I have the solid footing and grounding I need.
Every Time Without Fail Focus Trumps Intention To Increase Sales
  Much is written about intention. Yet, is intention that powerful when it comes to the goal to increase sales?
Crisis - What Crisis?
  In an ideal world, we would never have crises. Yet in the real world we do. Managing crisis is quite a challenge, so here are some thoughts on how to make it work best for you.
Get More Focus and Get More Business
  As a business owner, you’ve got a lot going on. Sometimes it’s hard to know what your top priorities are and where to put your focus.

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
Re: Great start, but no finish Re: Great start, but no finish
How do you know if you have a good idea? How do you know if you have a good idea?

Related Forum Posts Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors
Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Jeff Belyea
(Visit Jeff's Website)
Artist, writer and developer of Living At WOW! Seminars. PhD in communications, certification in hypnotherapy, personal and business coach. Award-winning author of "Taming The Lions of Fear and Doubt."
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Jeff Belyea's

Complete
List Of
Sales
Articles

First Name
Last Name
Email
Is the night Dark or Bright?
 
If you enjoyed this article, get Jeff Belyea's Complete List of Sales Articles For FREE!

More Jeff Belyea
The Big Questions
Meditation as a Means of Sports Improvement Sales Improvement Life
Dream A Little Dream With Me
Do Not Feed The Inner Demons
FOCUS
Stress Management Sales Confidence
Meditation as a Goal Achievement Strategy
Become An Author


 
 
 



Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
More popular articles
Have A Suggestion?


Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell