Success: Focus On The Task Until Completion
By Dennis Harting
Want to instantly change the results that you get in life? There is one way which will move everything you do to another level in a matter of moments. Resolve in from this moment forward to focus on a single task until it is fully completed. Develop within yourself the ability to concentrate 100% on the situation at hand and not to stop until that task is finished.
The world pays for completion. To illustrate this point, let me ask this simple question: how much would you pay for an incomplete piece of furniture? Would you be willing to pay top dollar? The answer obviously is that you would not. Perhaps you might be willing to part with money for an unfinished piece of software. The fact that it does not do what is designed to do is something that you could be willing to overlook. Of course, this is not true either. You are willing to part with your money only for products that are complete. If you do come across something that requires work, you most likely want a substantial discount.
This principle holds true in all areas of life. Successful people are those who are able to complete activities. The individuals who are the most successful in a particular field are the ones who complete the assigned task more often than anyone else. Use the example of sports. What is the difference between a .200 hitter and someone who hits .300? The one with the higher average is successful one more time every 10 at bats. This equates into a difference of millions of dollars. Another example is in sales. The top sales people complete the task of selling more frequently and in greater volumes than the unsuccessful person.
How can this apply to your life? Lets begin by looking at your profession. Is your employer paying you to complete some of the assigned tasks in your job description? Or, is he or she compensating you to finish a portion of a particular task? The answer is again to the negative. When an employer provides an assignment, the expectation is that it will be completed in its entirety. That is what your compensation is contingent upon. Those who fulfill assignments better than the others move higher within an organization.
The greatest advantage that you have is that most people fail miserably at completing tasks. Focus is something the average person is unskilled at. Many allow distractions to interfere with the progress that is being made. Momentum is allowed to dwindle by the constant starting and stopping of an activity. We have all encountered those people who are termed “great starters”. What is the implication of this title: that they are lousy finishers. These people tend to jump from project to project. They are adept at reaching a certain point before their focus looks into another area. What stands out most about these individuals is the path of incomplete tasks left in their wake.
How can this be used to your advantage? Focusing is a habit. If you will dedicate yourself to improving this skill, you will quickly learn how much of a boost it is. Life is full of distractions. Being able to succeed in spite of what is going on around us is a difference maker. The easiest way to develop this skill is to complete the task that is right in front of you. Most likely it is completing this article. Do not switch to another window, answer an instant message, or check your email. Finish reading the words printed here before attending to those tasks. This is how we form the habit of changing our mindset. Allowing distractions to interfere with what we are concentrating on is nothing more than a habit. Creating a different habit will net us different results.
Dedicated focus to a single activity until it is finished alters our life in many ways. People with this habit have the reputation as being someone who can get things done. Unresolved issues drive people crazy. Individuals love to deal with people who will get things completed. It removes a great burden from them. Handling the activities in front of us also increases our self confidence. We soon realize there is not much that will down the path which we cannot accomplish. The dedication to seeing something to fulfillment will create that reality. Finally, we will find we have more energy since we are not being drained. Unresolved issues have a way of sapping the life right out of us. We mentally focus upon it at the least opportune moments. Each time our mind drifts into that area, we lose a little more energy that is necessary to perform the task presently being worked on. Completing each as it arise allows us to recapture an incredible amount of lost energy.
Focus on whatever it is in front of you until it is completed. This single practice will instantly increase the amount of successes you enjoy. The world will recognize you in a short period of time. It loves individuals who can get things completed.
Dennis Harting is one of the leading authorities on success, motivation, and overcoming procrastination. For the past 15 years he has studied some of the most comprehensive techniques used in personal development. He leads a company that offers speaking, training, and individual coaching which helped thousands achieve maximum success in both business and personal affairs. All his programs can be found at http://www.yourrichlifeinc.com.