One of the biggest problems that we can face when we are trying to accomplish something is lack of focus. In today’s society, however, when many things are done online and distractions are just a tap and a swipe away, it is easy to lose our focus and let our thoughts wander on other topics. While letting our mind drift can be a useful way to think of ideas or engage in personal brainstorming, more often than not, focusing our thoughts and efforts on one task at a time is necessary if we want to get things done efficiently.
Focus as a Blogger or Writer
For instance, as I am writing this blog post, there are several possible distractions that could break my focus. For one, I am in my apartment with my girlfriend; enough said. Furthermore, my laptop is also connected to the Internet. I could engage people on Twitter or Quora (using the excuse of building my brand and backlinks), or browse YouTube for a few hours, leaving my writing for a later time. Instead, I will focus on getting this writing done so that I can meet the goals that I have set for myself.
I am working with what I have, but it is advisable for writers to find a quite place that would make it easier to put their ideas into words. Turning off the WiFi can also reduce some potential distractions. There are several productivity applications that can help for those of us that just have to take a peak at YouTube or Facebook if we have a computer in front of us. Keeping our phone out of reach can also make it easier to focus on writing our articles, but I like to keep it nearby just in case another idea pops into my head. This allows me to jot down the idea in Evernote so that it is not lost without drifting too far away from writing the current article that I need to focus my attention on.
Focus is Important in SEO
When we build websites and blogs, we want to have them seen and read by users from all over the world. This is where search engine optimization (SEO for short) comes into play. One aspect of SEO is focusing on certain keywords, and growing authority in the eyes of Google and other search engines by writing about similar topics over a period of time.
This is likely one of the advantages that niche sites have over general personal development sites (aside from focusing on the sales of items rather than the exchange of information), as Robert Koch of 30DaysToX often states. Even still, a site that covers a wide variety of topics can utilize SEO campaigns or focus on certain topics for a period of time in order to build more authority, rise in the search result rankings, and attract a larger audience.
Focus as an Entrepreneur
Building a business from scratch is no easy task. In fact, some have likened it to raising a child from birth to adulthood.
If we didn’t feed or clothe our children, the government would take them away, or worse yet, they would perish. The same can be said about businesses. If we give half-ass efforts, we will get half-ass results (or less). Therefore, we must take the time to focus on building our skillsets and using them to provide value to the world.
I understand how difficult this can be, especially when eight or more hours of our day are spent in the employ of others, making them rich. This is an experience that I have first-hand knowledge of working at an ESL training center plantation.
However, if we are serious about wanting to build our business, we are going to have to set some time out to get things done. The less time that we have for ourselves, the more focus we will have to commit to using what few precious seconds are available to get things accomplished.
If you are in the predicament of working a full-time job that you hate, and you want to get a side hustle or additional streams of income going, then you can try starting small first. Plan to set two hours aside every week to concentrate on your business and only your business. During these two hours you will not allow anything else to capture your attention. You will get into the zone of building your skills, marketing, providing value, and doing whatever is necessary to turn your idea into a money-maker.
Focus in the Bedroom
Believe it or not, focus is important when we’re making sweet, sweet love to our woman too. Life can be stressful, with thoughts about how we will survive until the next paycheck, how we are going to build our business, or even if we are performing adequately wandering in and out of our minds. This can cause problems with our little brothers downstairs, preventing them from rising to the occasion.
Sex is far more enjoyable when we are focused on the interaction between us and our partner. While it certainly can be detrimental to think with our dicks, it is advantageous to do so when we’re in the middle of getting us some sugarwallz.
Be Careful About What We Focus On
In the Black Community, I notice that we like to focus on every perceived slight that we receive from other ethnicities. While I will certainly not say that racism doesn’t exist, and I certainly will acknowledge the effect that racism can have on accomplishing one’s goals in life, committing so much time to whining about something that is unlikely to change is fruitless. If that same amount of energy were invested in building skills, building businesses, and developing means of protecting our developments, physically and otherwise, then racism would probably not hurt us as much.
It is painful to know that there is so much that is detrimental to our existence that is beyond our control. I’d be lying if I said that I did not understand the desire to mope or whine about such things. All that I am saying is that we should be aware of these issues, but instead of focusing on the futile task of changing people’s (or peoples’) hearts or finger-wagging at them, we should develop tangible solutions to break through or get around the hurdles that these external forces cause us. Not cooning here because while I do not believe that Black people could take over the world, aided by archangels and other supernatural beings in a Race War situation, I do believe that as individuals we can and should use naked force if necessary.
Developing focus is not necessarily an easy thing in a world where there are distractions around every corner. We must learn to concentrate on what needs to be accomplished in our lives regardless of how difficult it is. There are no excuses. “Nobody told me,” “I didn’t have the time,” or “I had to do X” might all be understandable, but they don’t get the job done and won’t put money in your pocket, get your dick wet, help you learn that new language, or whatever your objectives may be.
Learn to focus down on the tasks that you need to complete and you will see more efficient results in your life.