America is the ‘Land of Opportunity.’ The culture of the country encourages individuals to be who they dream of being and achieve what they want to achieve. The possibilities available in the United States is probably the most appealing aspect for why people dream of living there. At the same time, the fast pace and the way time flies creates the scenario of a hamster on a wheel. Many of us run feverishly on the proverbial hamster wheel of life without getting anywhere. Does this sound like a familiar scenario? Does this sound like your journey sometimes?
Moving Forward With Focus
There are multiple ways to be successful and paths to take to achieve your goals, but why is it that few make any real progress or real money? Have you ever wondered why this is? It’s interesting how busy and hardworking we can be in our work schedules, but how unproductive our days and months truthfully can be. There is a way to change the way you work so that you can move forward, as opposed to creating a dizzy spinning existence.
Gary Keller, the co-founder of Keller Williams, suggests that the way to get ahead is by focusing on one thing. So often, I see newbie real estate investors trying to do it all. They want to fix up houses and flip them like on TV, experiment with note investing, scoop up some rental units, purchase tax liens, ground up developments, and invest in 'no money down' commercial real estate. The result? Not much to take note of, because it’s ‘too much.’ Being drawn in too many directions, or hopping from one thing to the next, does little to move goals forward and impedes measurable results.
Self-help books and a plethora of information is available that discusses how successful people 'get ahead.' “Do these daily tasks. Be more productive by accomplishing X. See results by doing Y.” There is so much information out there, especially for the new real estate investor or entrepreneur, but it's not about taking it all in. The good news is that it’s a pretty simple strategy that will help you make the most out of your time, money, career, and relationships.
Learn to focus
Busy = Progress???
Finding focus is the most crucial step. In our society, we are inundated by interruptions (Social media contributes to this—mostly— among other things). Studies have shown that for every interference to our attention, whether it is a 1 min or 6-minute distraction, it will take 25 minutes (on average) to “get back on track.” Seriously, those Facebook updates and Snapchat stories can wait till you’re off the clock. They might even be able to wait indefinitely...
In our day and age, we keep busy schedules. There is simply no way around that fact. The kids have this sports activity and that music recital. You have a full-time job, volunteer, and have family responsibilities. We continually pressure ourselves to do more— “Just cram in one more thing or into your maxed out day. You can do it,”— but does this translate into progress?
Knowing it all
It’s great that we know when our mentors wake up in the morning, what they are reading, and what technology they use, but this won’t help us get more of what we want. With so much opportunity, knowledge, and resources available, it’s time to look at life and say, “Where does my focus need to be? What is the most profitable place to put my time?”
Find your path, stick to it, and master it. By doing this, you may see the movement, progress, and achievement you have been desperately hoping to find. It’s about doing less of everything and more of one thing. Focusing on less may not sound that glamorous, but the results can be. Plus, you will be feeling accomplished for stacking up “real wins.”
Conclusion
Some have said that focus is a greater resource than IQ. It’s Bruce Lee who stated that “the difference between being average and being great all about focus.” It’s time for you to choose where you want to go. Identify the next step to get you there Focus, and do it.