Say you have figured out what is important, your big rock or whatever the metaphor may be. Keeping focus on it is however not always easy. Because what’s important often takes a tumble to the trivials of daily life. Why?
It’s easy to get distracted. Happens to everyone: emerging crises, fire drills, urgent phone calls, bills or simply fatigue. Like the musical Les Miserables “I dreamed a dream” has it, life can be quite cruel and unpredictable.
Of course, the moment you take your eyes off, there goes the dream. So what can we do to increase our odds of success?
Here are my suggestions: One, make sure your prize is indeed yours. Only we can decide what is important to us. No one else. Not your parents, bosses, or whomever. This way you can make your reason personal, tangible, and imperative.
Two, make a habit to check in with self to verify that what we deemed important is still our priority. Yes, things can change, so are life situations. Good to re-calibrate and be flexible while keeping eyes on the prize.
Three, make your prize a daily reminder. Use it to bring self back on track if needed. Like a guidepost to help us get to where we need to be. It will be the assuring compass when going gets rough.
There is no prize if we don’t try. What else can help?
Running with Buddha 