Three Choices

“There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”

Dennis Waitley

“We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.”

Kahlil Gibran

“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”

William Jennings Bryan

I made a decision today.  During the next five days, I’m only going to concentrate on three things.  The first will be to meet my goal to complete 150 blogs in the next five days, by July 1, 2013. As of this writing, I have 14 to go.  Conceivably, if I really focused, I could meet that goal in the next three days.  It’s not that hard.  I just have to stay focused.  The second goal is to review and finish the Lisa Nichols courses that I was given.  Yes I was given them and I feel responsible to finish.  The third will be to do my radio show.  (www.blogtalkradio.com/robert-farrell)

I’m sharing these goals because I want to make clear my intention to stay focused.  Staying focused is very difficult for me.  It’s incredibly difficult for me.  Often, the minute I sit down to work, I’m distracted externally and internally.  The external distractions are things like e-mails, phone calls, text messages or just about anything on the Internet.  Then there are tasks and chores and obligations.  Honestly, at this moment I want to shut most of the world out and just work.   Oh, and I also get distracted by fatigue and I’d really like to take a nap right now. 

Fortunately there’s only one internal distraction, but it’s a big one.  It’s the desire to respond to any and every one of the external distractions.  I once attended a class on ADHD in children and one of the presenters said was that just because a student can focus one day, with great effort, it doesn’t mean he can do it the next day.  It’s a battle every day.  For me, that’s what staying focused is – it’s a battle every day.  Yes, I can do it, but it never gets easier.

Honestly, I’m not comfortable talking about this.  I don’t want to make a special status of my problem.  Yes, I seem to have mild ADHD but everyone deals with something.  I’m just glad it’s mild and not worse.  I’ve seen kids on Ritalin and what they’re like when they’re off it.   So, my problem can be overcome.  In fact, it has been overcome, 136 times so far.

Finishing my blogs is my primary goal.  Just doing what I’ve done has already been this huge accomplishment, but I also realize that this is the most difficult and most treacherous part of the territory.  In fact, while in the course of writing this, I got physically ill.  I’m okay now, but I realize that whether it’s spiritual, physical or internal, the Enemy is going to come at me with everything it can.  I have to stay focused.

My second goal is to complete the Lisa Nichols programs.  People who are doing what I want to be doing gave them to me.  In Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker says I need to associate with people who are doing what I want to be doing so that I can learn from them.  Lisa Nichols’ organization handed me two products that will teach me her methods.  So I need to spend time with her by taking advantage of what I was given. 

Finally, I need to continue working on my radio show.  This is a good vehicle for me to practice my public speaking as well as attract potential clients.  And I enjoy doing it.

What I’m not going to focus on is making money.  I want and need to make money, but I don’t need to make it today or even in the next five days.  I can focus on what I’m doing here.  If an irresistible money-making opportunity occurs in the next five days, then I will consider it.  Otherwise, I will focus on these goals.

What does all this have to do with Purpose?   So far, all I’ve written about are things that directly affect me.  Is there a universal principle that applies here?  Yes.  Sometimes we are overwhelmed by an abundance of choices.  Now maybe this is a “first-world” problem, but it’s a real one nonetheless.  There are many good things we can and maybe should focus on.  But the number or choices are limited by time and other constraints.  So make your choices and don’t look back.  Take action.   You may find that the other choices take care of themselves.  Just Get Started and Keep Going.  And make your choices.