The Power of Focus

We live in a highly unfocused and easily distracted society. A few statistics that prove this:

• Distracted driving is the number 1 cause of car accidents in the U.S.
• Distractions cost U.S. companies $650 billion per year on average.
• The average internet user spends 5 years and 4 months of their life on social networks.

So, how do we become more focused? The Bible has a lot to say about this:

1. Keep God and His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).
2. Fix or set your thoughts on Godly things (Phillippians 4:8, Colossians 3:2, Hebrew 3:1).
3. Take every thought captive that goes against what we know about God (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Focus is just as much about what we choose not to pay attention to as it is what we do pay attention to. 

• It’s difficult to remove a negative habit without adding a new one in its place, and vice versa.
• For example, it’s hard to give up foods that are bad for you without having a plan to eat healthier foods instead.
• There are only so many hours in a day. When you choose to focus more on one area of your life, you’re choosing to focus less on another area by default.

5 areas where you need focus most:

1. Faith: Are you pursuing God and maintaining a strong relationship with Him?
2. Health: Do you feel healthy and strong most of the time?
3. Relationships: What are your core values? Are you all going the same direction?
4. Career: Are you working toward a destination or just trying to get to payday?
5. Money: What financial goals do you have?

What I’m focused on right now:

1. My walk with God: Am I seeking Him and His purpose for my life?
2. My family: Loving my husband and children well (5 Love Languages)
3. My health: Adding more vegetables to my diet, getting up earlier and exercising
4. My career: Writing projects and the Purpose Without Apology podcast

Action Steps: 

1. Choose one area of your life that needs more of your attention, and commit to focusing on that area for the next 30 days.
2. Choose one aspect of your life that needs less attention from you, and spend less time on it over the next 30 days.

Resources:

1. https://www.businessinsider.com/millionaire-study-wealth-factors-confidence-focus-2019-1
2. https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-6-high-performance-habits-only-the-most-extrao.html
3. https://stopad.io/blog/interrupted-work-statistics