Develop The Right Focus In Life All Time

Anything you focus on will expand. Small things naturally grow big with focus. It's not money that you need to grow a small business, it's focus. Mathematics may be difficult, but focus will make it easy.

If you want to see changes in your marriage, then build your focus around it. Focus has power to transform anything, and nothing can resist its transformative effect. Just any man can be transformed if transformation you.

 BUT WHAT IS FOCUS?

Focus is a definite commitment to a cause. And that's why you can't be truly committed to anything without a clear definition. Focus is not just about committing yourself to something, it's about committing yourself to something with a clear definition. When I started writing, I told God that I don't want to write like every other writer, that I want to write with a clear difference. I told him I want my write-ups to flow with angelic ecstasy.

With that in mind, each time I write something that feels ordinary, I'd quickly delete it. There are many beautiful write-ups that I've had to delete, only because I didn't feel the way I defined for my write-ups. Some months after I defined my focus, I started receiving feedbacks from readers.

A lady said "Manyi, anytime I read your write ups, it's always like an angel is talking to me". Another person said "Anslem, if you tell me that it is you that is writing these messages, I'd slap you. Because only a spirit can write like this". I really laughed when I heard them, but they were clear pointers that what I focused on was expanding.

As at that time, the maximum number of "Likes" I received on my write-ups was 10; but recently, it has crossed 150. And the feedback has been the same from everyone. “BUT Kevin, I'VE BUILT MY FOCUS AROUND THESE THINGS ALL THESE YEARS, BUT I'VE NOT EXPERIENCED A CHANGE...” If that's the case for you, then what you've built all those years may not really be focus. Focus has some virtues that works with it; let me explain a few of them to you: 

- FOCUS BEGINS WITH A DEFINITION

We defined focus as definite commitment to a cause. The phrase "definite commitment" simply means "defined commitment". In other words, you don't just commit yourself to a cause, you first define your commitment. Focus without definition will often lead to confusion. And when a man is confused, it simply means he has lost focus. If you want to start a business, start by defining what you hope to achieve.

Then build your focus around what you've defined. I've heard people say things like "I'd do everything in my power to make this work". I don't do everything in my power to make things work; I do everything I have defined in order to make things work. I've discovered that people who determine to do everything in their power to pursue a cause usually abandon the cause.

And that's because, oftentimes, everything in our power is usually not enough to make certain things work. We need to do things beyond our power. God understood this principle when He said we should "trust in the Lord with all our heart, and lean not on our own understanding". Ephesians 6:10 says "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might...".

The word "finally" was used to signify that our definition has to be totally dependent on God. No man can scale through the diverse challenges of this world in his strength; he needs a higher power to overcome. If your definition has no connection with God, then you will soon lose focus. Imagine if I did not define my style of writing, I'd probably be writing anything I like today. 

People should not just do what they like, but what they've defined. If you focus on a thing only because you like it, then what will happen when you no longer like it? Many people have stopped going to church because the "like" is no longer there. Ninety percent of salary earners want to change their job only because they no longer "like" their job. Divorce is becoming a daily routine only because the couple no longer "like" each other.

Students will prefer to sit at home and watch movies instead of going to school, only because they no longer "like" school. Isn't this "like" perspective the beginning of man's problem? If your only reason for committing yourself to a cause is because you like it, then you'd probably abandon that cause.

Liking a cause is not enough, you need to consciously define the level of commitment you'd give to it. I like writing, but I've also defined the level of commitment I give to it. And that's because I don't want it to affect any other aspect of my life. I remember how my boss told me that I was not focused in the office; and that's because I was always thinking of what to write, even while I'm in the office.

Some people will say it was passion that was driving me, but my boss was right; I lacked focus, I lacked definition. If I had a proper definition, then my productivity in the office would not have been affected. So that's it! Focus begins with defining your commitment, and consciously submitting to what you've defined.

Definition puts you on check; so that when situations try to pull you out, you'd know how to trace your way back. A student who has defined his commitment to always have an Upper Credit in all courses will naturally sit up anytime he gets a grade lower than an Upper Credit. But imagine a student who doesn't have a defined commitment? He'd probably accept any grade, and do nothing about improving. And students like that easily get confused and eventually lose focus. 

The same thing applies to businesses. And that's why most organizations set annual targets for themselves. Having a defined commitment for your business will help you rate your income. For instance, I planned to write 12 books in the month of March 2017; but I ended up writing 9. Of course, I should be excited, but I didn't reach my goal.

On the other hand, if I didn’t define my commitment to write 12 books, I probably would not have written more than 2 books in that month. Definition has a way of stretching your potentials; and that's why I earlier mentioned that you should not define your commitment based on your strength, but based on the power of God. I really love to write, but all I could write in the month of February 2017 was 2 books, without a definition.

But definition increased it to 9. You'd be amazed at how much you can achieve by defining your commitment to any cause. I heard of a man who committed himself to washing his wife's car. He did that anytime the car was due for washing. And the most amazing thing is that even when his wife offends him, he'd still wash the car and personally hand over the keys to her.

"Darling, I've washed your car, here's your key" accompanied with a peck on the cheek. Even if the wife was possessed by a demon, she'd quickly apologize for her wrong. Our definitions overpower our weaknesses and enable us to do what needs to be done. Definition is what will make you pay your child's school fees even after you lost your job.

 - FOCUS REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE

You can't claim you have focus on something and you don't have details about that thing. For instance, if you have focus on your family, you'd have vital details about them. You'd know your wife's best color, best food, best hairstyle, best gift, best dress, birthday, salary, colleagues, friends; you'd know about her job, the role she plays, and possibly how she plays it.

You'd have details about your child's schooling; both academic and financial status. You'd know the numerous talents of your children, and even help them to enhance their gifts. You just need to understand how they operate; parents who do not know what to do for their children have an unstable focus. Because with focus, you would always know what to do per time. If it ever comes to a time when you don't know what to do to perform your official duty, then your focus is probably not on the job.

Men of focus are always one step ahead; they update themselves regularly, and attack the things that may become a threat to their job in the future. And this is why many people easily get tired of the same job they enjoyed when they began. They give excuses like; "my boss nags at me, I no longer feel the excitement, the pay is no longer encouraging, and so on".

What you focus on only expands; and you can't possibly get tired of positive expansions. When you begin to see reasons why your job is no longer good for you, then you've drifted your focus to something else. Research has it that employees perform better during their first months in an organization. And that's because they put all their focus on the job during that period, and divide their focus after a while. If only they know that complete focus is the key to excellence.

Don't tell me “Business is not moving", because it's actually your focus that is not showing. Progress naturally accompanies focus. Even Jesus referred to this principle in Matt 6:22 when He said "the light of the body is the eye: if your eyes be single, your whole body will be full of light". In other words, if you will dare to focus, you can't experience downtimes; either in your business or in any other aspect of your life. Just as the eye is the light of the body, focus is the light of destiny.

Without the eyes, the body will be full of darkness; and without focus, destiny can never be reached. A man who always have details about his engagements is a man of focus. He'd always know what to do to escape any situation. The essence of focus is to ensure that growth is guaranteed.

But focus without knowledge won't lead to growth. Though we have said that "what you focus on will expand", it is a "knowledge-rooted" focus that causes things to expand. People who easily lose their focus are people whose focus is not knowledge motivated. 

- FOCUS IS SUSTAINED BY A VISION

Have a vision for growth. It's not enough to define your commitment and have enough knowledge of the things you focus on; you also need to have a vision for progress. Knowledge is progressive, but it is vision that creates the destination. Knowledge without a vision will only keep you around the corner.

Knowledge gets you ready to go, vision shows you were to go. Vision is about seeing something better than what you have now, and about seeing a place better than where you are now. Your wife may be earning a great income now, but if you can't see her making even greater income, then check your focus. Focus is visionary in nature; even though the present may be bright, it always looks forward to the future.

People who desire to change their job only because their salary is small do not have a focus. No amount of salary will ever be enough for man. Don't change your job because you need a salary increase, but because your vision is being ceased. Also, don't stay on a job only because the salary is good, but because the vision you see is achievable. I heard the story of a man who got a job employment in a bank as a security officer.

Though he started as a security officer, but he looked forward to becoming an accountant in the same bank. Amazingly, it wasn't long before he became the chief accountant in the bank. Vision does not have a final destination; because every destination is turned into the beginning. Vision says "the sky is the limit", but when it gets to the sky, it says "the sky is the beginning". With vision, no position is too small to start from; actually, vision likes to start small.

 - FOCUS REFLECTS THROUGH PERSEVERANCE

There is no vision that is impossible to attain. However, pursuing a great vision requires great perseverance. Perseverance means to continue in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure. Matt 24:13 says "he that endure till the end shall be saved". Persevering towards the fulfillment of a vision means to endure all the hardness and difficulties until you see the manifestation of the vision.

Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross and despised the shame. That's the example we should follow. If you ever abort a vision because of the difficulties on the way, then you don't have a focus. A man with true focus will never abort a vision; he would press towards the vision until he sees the manifestation. Aborting a vision is like aborting a baby; and the pain of abortion is far more tormenting than the pain of perseverance.

People who abort their babies live to regret it; but people who perseverance unto delivery live to celebrate their victory. The vision in your heart is like the baby in the womb; you need to carry the vision like a woman carries the baby for months before delivery. Of course, the discomfort and pain will come, but the delivery of the vision will also come, only if you would persevere.