My Challenges: Focus

Literally, my mind runs a hundred miles a minute because I am always thinking. I have so many different ideas and so many things I want to accomplish. Often, I hear people say, “Do it while you’re young.” I realize that I have gotten caught trying to do “everything” while I’m young.

The problem is I never get anything accomplished because I have so many things to do that I am exhausted by the end of the day from thinking so much. Well, the truth is I do get some things done, but it takes longer to get things accomplished because I am working on so many things at the same time and constantly pursuing a new idea.

For instance, I have been working on the website for Shalon’s HOPE for a year. I had been thinking about using my experiences to help others for awhile. Only after getting a coach to work with me at a women’s empowerment conference was I able to focus on pursuing my dream of helping others by starting the organization Shalon’s HOPE (Helping Other People Excel). The problem is I’m still working on the website because I can’t focus on it. Though I really want to do it, I get pulled into doing things for other people.

I realize that I am the type of person who tries to solve everyone else’ problem in addition to my own, so I take on too much; I get involved in and become responsible for things that I shouldn’t. So, I am learning to focus on me, my needs and my goals. I am learning that I don’t need to please everyone else. I am learning to write things down before I leave the house so that I can focus on meeting a daily goal instead of getting distracted throughout the day. I am also learning that I need an accountability buddy all of the time.

I don’t know if my mind will every stop thinking so much, but I have come to accept the reality that it is impossible for me to accomplish everything I want to while I am young. So, I am committed on focusing more and more each day so that I can be effective in getting done what is most important for me right now.

What are some things that you can do to help you focus on one thing at a time?