Focus Is The Key

As we have come to the end of the summer many people are talking about a time to Re-focus on the tasks at hand. It matters little what that task is, but FOCUS is the key.

When we say that we must re-focus, it is implied that we have once been focused and something has come along to draw our attention away.

Knowing people as I do, it is difficult for most of us to admit that the real problem is that we are people pleasers in almost every area of life. I know some of us have difficulty in admitting this, but I assure you, it is true. We want to please our boss, our employees, our spouse, our kids, our friends and occasionally, when we think about it, wanting to please God. Often in our effort to please others around us we find ourselves distracted from the real tasks at hand.

Why is it that we stop doing the things we know we OUGHT to do by involving ourselves in the things that we NEED not do? I think the real reason is that when we busy ourselves with the little things we are removing any risk from our own lives. When you begin to micromanage the people in our lives we know that we can be the hero in answering all the questions or concerns. In this we have no risk at all; in fact we know that each of those people will see us as heroes and superstars, but the truth is when we do this we have lost FOCUS on the main things.

All these little distractions are simply the clutter of life that prevents you from doing what you need to do. We must find a way to get the clutter off our desk, out of our office, out of our marriage, home, and life. Here’s what I want you to remember Filtering Out Clutter Unlocks Success.

Before the 1993 Super Bowl, coach Jimmy Johnson was asked what he told his players before leading them onto the field for the game. He said, “I told them if I laid a two-by-four across the floor, everybody there would walk across it and not fall, because their focus would be on walking the length of that board. But if I put that same board 10 stories high between two building, only a few would make it, because the focus would be on falling.” Johnson told his players not to focus on the crowd, the media, or the possibility of falling but to focus on each play of the game as if it were a good practice session. The Cowboys won the game 52-7.

You and I are called to focus on each day of life. Yesterday is gone, but today is a new day. Don’t live your life in the clutter of the stuff that is really unimportant, rather, as Paul wrote, “Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected … and the God who gives peace will be with you.” –Philippians 4:8-9 etrv

Remember Filtering Out Clutter Unlocks Success.