Day 10-11 for 31 days of May-keovers- 3 ways to focus on progress not perfection

I have to confess that I am a big movie and T.V. show watcher! This has especially been the case since for the last month I have not been able to eat anything without extreme pain in my stomach. Yesterday I was watching Switched at Birth. I don't want to get into to big  synopsis of the show . Just to explain so it isn't so random, this show is about how 2 families lives change when they find out that someone else raised their child and they raised theirs. The Kennishe's discover their baby was raised by Regina Vasquez, and that she is deaf. Mr. Kennish was talking to one of his deaf pitchers who was struggling in English. He had someone else write his paper for him. Coach Kennish told him to focus on progress and not perfection. I have been thinking about that since yesterday.

FOCUS is like a game of darts......

1.Focus is defined as the center of interest or activity. I want you to think of a target. In the middle of this target is a big red circle. This can be anything that we are looking to achieve. The odds of us throwing a dart and hitting that bulls eye are pretty slim. It takes many throws and missing that target to achieve that bulls eye and the feeling of success that comes with it. You could just hold the dart and run up and put it in the middle, but you would be cheating yourself out of the process. It may be frustrating especially if you don't have very good aim. Hopefully with time you will get better at it and enjoy the game as well! Aim high!

like a CAT.........

2.Don't just wait, go after it! You have to POUNCE! To a cat something will catch its eye and they will crouch down and focus on it and only that. When the moment is right then they pounce. They are quite the hunters. Go on a hunt. Figure out what you want and list your targets.

Like a CAMERA....

3.Just because something is blurry or unclear doesn't mean you move on. You need to stop, look, and reposition like you would do on a cameras lens. FOCUS on what you can change. Some subjects move too fast and you miss it! That is okay, then you can either wait or find a new subject. Other subjects are still and you have time to catch them in just the right light. Sometimes we miss opportunities or they don't go like we planned. other times our opportunities are right in front of us but we walk right by.


These 3 ways of focusing all have something in common. They all require aim. We all want to aim for perfection but get discouraged when we miss the target or it is too blurry to see. When we focus on what we want we start the progression. You can't skip the progression of knowledge you gain from going through K-6. Each year you add upon what you learn and you practice and refine your skills. Each year it gets harder. The progress is what shapes us, our character. It is like if we look at the darts we threw that missed, and pull them from their landing spot, we are left with holes. You can see where you have been and still see the bulls eye. We focus on our wonderful journey and watch ourselves learn and grow. When we focus on perfection we miss all the steps we took to get there. I feel like perfection is an optical illusion. It can blur our progress and our goals.

Today's assignment:
What is success to you? Where do your heart and dreams lie? What have you been putting on the back burner of procrastination, because you thought you would fail? Just start to write and find your targets and where you want your focus to be. I always wanted to paint but I didn't think I could. Well, I just finished my very first painting and I can't wait to do another one! Just make one small change and take a step forward towards your ideal life and goals. That is it! One step....or two. The point is not to miss the process and joy of reaching your ultimate goal. Aim high and life meets you somewhere in the middle.