8 Steps to Sure Success: Step Four – Focused Attention
December 16, 2014
“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.” – Paulo Coelho
I relish professional sports! I’m sure you have your favorites, me too! Here are a few of my favorite athletes/coaches from both the present and the past. Russell Wilson & Pete Carroll (NFL), Joe Giardia & Kevin Trout (MLB), Chael Sonnen & Georges St. Pierre (UFC), Nick Sabin (SEC), Bubba Watson & Jack Nicklaus (PGA). Each of these men are great examples of accomplishment and were great representatives of their sport.
However, in my opinion, the all-time best athlete for any sport is the PGA’s Jack Nicklaus. He holds the record for the most major tournament wins. I loved the way he would handle the extreme pressure on that week’s course and engineer his success. To this day, he remains a great ambassador for golf at all levels.
I recall once watching Nicklaus on television competing in a tournament. It was his last stroke, on the 18th hole, on the final day of the tournament. If he made the putt he would win the tournament. The television cameras followed his every move on the green as he meticulously read the slant and the condition of the putting surface. Finally, he took his stance and lined-up his putter. The cameraman zeroed-in on his golf ball. I anxiously watched for Nicklaus to wait until the fly moved off of his ball. To the contrary, he smoothly drew back the club and firmly stroked the ball and sank the putt for the win! He kept his attention focused!
The post-game interviewer was obviously eager to speak with Jack Nicklaus after another amazing win. After congratulating him, the interviewer asked the question that everyone fan at home wanted to ask: “Didn’t that fly disturb you? How did you sink that putt with that distraction?” Nicklaus’ response was pure genius! He replied, “I didn’t come to this tournament to chase flies; I came to play golf and win!”
By understanding the simple eloquence of that response, it’s easy to grasp our next Step to Sure Success: “Focused Attention.” If you remain able and willing to say “no” to any and every distraction that clamors for your attention and keep your attention focused, you will be successful.
Knowing your strengths will help you stay focused. It can also encourage you to seek help in order to further develop areas in which help is required. Many of our hidden strengths are under-developed and additional education and mentoring have the ability to boost one’s potential. Like a golfer getting lessons under the watchful eye of a great swing coach, your talents can be developed into greatness!
Perhaps another name for this step could be “Burn the Ants.” As a young boy, I remember taking a magnifying glass outside on sunny summer days. My friends and I would find those big black carpenter ants and then would focus a beam of concentrated sunlight on them. The focused heat was many times hotter than the normal sunshine was. Within a few seconds, the ant would collapse and begin smoking as the magnified sunlight would literally incinerate them. Focus your energy and vision like the magnifying glass would focus the sun beam and put that beam directly on your “vision!”
There will always be distractions and diversions, family and friends who may not understand your commitment to succeeding and the plain old distraction of laziness. Sports, television, and even hobbies can be temporary “mini-vacations” that allow your mind to decompress. But don’t give yourself to the diversion; give yourself to the vision. Focus your attention!
