Over the course of last month, I attended a leadership seminar and during the event, the facilitator made a statement that gave me a big insight, he said "do not just play, play to win." He made reference that in a football match - it does not matter your ball possession, the number of dribbles you made, the attempts you have, the movements you made, but what matters is the number of goals you score. In the same way in life, it is not just about making a movement and taking steps that counts, but doing it with the intention to obtain the result. Someone who is moving over a roundabout in circles is making a movement, but he is not making progress. So you have to focus on how to turn your efforts into impact.
You will be surprised how many people are constantly moving, staying busy, working so hard, doing a lot, yet without a tangible result. What you have to understand is that movement without direction is like taking some random shots in a football match but not anywhere near the goalpost, so there is no way to score the goal. The difference between wasting your energy and having a real achievement is the intention you attach to it. When you take steps with purpose, your efforts will not be wasted, but they will be focused and you will get the required impact.
There is an unimaginable, yet undeniable power that is resident in focus. The people who are focused on their dreams are almost unstoppable. Focus has a way of turning ordinary people into high achievers. When your focus is in line with your goal, every action you take and any step you make will move you closer to the dream. This is because your actions will not be just some random steps but ones that are intentional and born out of focus. In life, you do not just do things or take steps because you feel that others are doing it, rather you do what matters to your goals and to your purpose.
As a student, if you want to prepare for your exams, it is expected that you will study your books and other related academic materials. Now Imagine someone who is preparing for a maths examination, but reading biology notebooks, will it be said that he is making progress? Obviously not! It is true that he is taking an action - which is reading, but the action lacks purpose, and it is without the main aim in mind, so the result will not be achieved. But when the student intentionally reads the mathematics notebook in preparation for the mathematics exam, then he would be making progress. Every page he reads will draw him closer to his goals, because he is focused and aligned to his aim.
In order to aim with intention, there are things you need to know and be aware of. Firstly, you have to know what you really want. This talks about having a well-defined goal and dream. Without having a goal, how will you even take actions in the right direction? As part of knowing what you want, you also need to know why you want it. This will act as the motivating factor that will prompt you to take the action in the first place. The next one is to have a plan of how to get what you want. Define what it takes to get it. This will give you the direction of how to act, so that you will not shoot aimlessly and missing your attempts. When you have all these in place, then you have to take step and be consistent at it. The first step may not look significant, but it does not mean it is not worthwhile - keep at it with consistency and continuity.
In anything you do - your career, business, education, personal growth, etc, do not just shoot, but aim to hit the target. Do not just get busy, so that people will see that you are doing something, but be purposeful and be focused. Your daily activities should be connected to your dreams, and your habits should also support your goals. Always have in mind that in life, what counts is not how much attempts or trials you have, but the goals you are able to hit.
Thanks for reading
