When you take three left turns you end up in the exact place where started. This is essentially what can happen if you become distracted and keep taking detours on your road to success.
How can you keep focused on goals?
The first step is to clearly define what you would like to accomplish.
Next, find a way to keep these goals in mind. Remember the old adage out of sight out of mind? Set up visual reminders of what you working for. My wife Michelle and I love preparing our vision boards at the beginning of each year. You can do something similar. It can be as in-your-face as a list posted on your wall that says “My goals are:” or as discrete as a magazine clipping of that coveted sailboat kept in your wallet where you see it when you’re about to pull out those credit cards for an unnecessary expense. Perhaps you can set your desktop background to a picture of that Caribbean destination you will visit once you've purchased a new cash flow asset. If you’re the obsessive organizational type, make yourself an Excel spread sheet of what you hope to accomplish.
According to one success coaching blog (irrefutablesuccess.com), it’s easier to stay focused on your goals when you have established a timeline and identified your motivation. Try mind mapping your long-term goals include your inspiration and deadline.
Staying focused means you can't say yes to everything all the time. Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying: “Focusing is about saying No.” This is especially true when it comes to distractions that will waste your time and money.
Distractions can come in the form of work, family, friends, events and anything else that requires time and attention. In order not to neglect these other very important aspects of life, it is essential to assign a time for each. Then, the same way you shouldn't let work interfere with family time; don’t let other things interfere with the time you have set aside for working on your goals.