Where Focus Goes, Energy Flows and Action Shows
Have you ever noticed how it feels when you know something needs to be done or a decision needs to be made and you do not do it, maybe even delaying it for a long time?
Maybe you start to do it, then delay, begin again, and procrastinate more, and you are still trying to figure out why.
Or maybe you know why and still do it—the procrastination. It may be because it seems too complicated, risky, or confrontational, or the required decision or action will bring about a change you do not want to face. Do you recall how you felt?
I know I have done this many times in the past. When this delay or
procrastination sets in, it brings on feelings of overwhelm and even, in some cases, emotions around failing and letting myself and potentially others down. I recall one time when I knew I needed to end a relationship, and I delayed because of the conversations that would need to be had and the emotions that would come up for me. I just kept thinking I would make it work. However, I knew it was never going to work and that I was holding myself back and causing us both pain. I knew I would have to decide if it was going to end. It took a year to make the decision and finally act on it. When I did, I went from being unhappy and frustrated to feelings of freedom and future focus. I got on with living the life I wanted.
Human behaviour is a fascinating thing to learn, observe and understand. Underpinning all that we do is the theory of motivation, and one of the critical principles influencing our motivation is pain and pleasure. The pain-pleasure principle, developed by Sigmund Freud, suggests that people make choices to avoid or decrease pain or make choices that create or increase pleasure. The pain-pleasure principle is the core of all the decisions we make. Beliefs, values, actions, and decisions are built upon this principle. In many cases, we will do more to avoid the pain of change than to experience pleasure. When we face the fact that every decision we make has a consequence, some of them painful, it can be no wonder that many people delay making decisions or taking the action they know is needed.
Now, to turn this on its head, let's talk about prioritisation. The remarkable aspect of prioritisation is that when you want or need something done or a decision to be made, and it becomes a priority, it turns into a focus, generating energy and influencing action. Where focus goes, energy flows, and action shows.
“To change your life, you need to change your priorities.” Mark Twain
Think about when you were decisive or action-orientated, and things just happened. How did that make you feel? I will guess that it felt good. Feelings of relief, satisfaction, and maybe even gratitude may come up for you. I recently had to accept that something in business I was working very hard to improve was not turning out the way intended. I don't particularly appreciate giving up; however, after about eight weeks, I had to accept that the current approach was not working. I needed to prioritise changing my approach, so I reflected on my choices and decisions and realised that I was letting my ego get in the way of making the best decisions for all involved, even though it would be difficult for some people. As Mark Twain said, “To change your life, you need to change your priorities.”
How we turn up in business gives us information that we can use to move forward in many different situations. Being able to prioritise the decision forced me to focus on the needed outcome, which generated the energy to create the solution and the action to reach the end goal. Once I went through this process, I felt a sense of relief and having done the right thing by all involved and in the right way.
It all starts with prioritisation and results in action being taken. So here are a few tips as to how you can bring more prioritisation, focus, energy, and action-taking into your business and life:
#1. Set clear priorities based on your goals.
Understand what you want or need to achieve. Do you have a clear vision and goals for achieving the desired outcome? Break down the decisions or actions to be taken and ensure they are achievable and relevant. Be clear about what is important versus urgent.
#2. Develop or improve daily habits.
If you have daily habits supporting your ability to prioritise, reflect on whether they work for you. Do you need to adjust or change any of the process steps associated with your habits? Habits that work for you compound over time and become rituals that enable you to be structured and productive in all that you do. This alone will help you focus and have the energy to accomplish things.
#3. Practice self-reflection
Regular self-reflection is a form of meditation because it requires quiet time and thinking. Giving yourself quiet thinking time can be a powerful way to focus on what you must achieve, sort out your thoughts and blockages, and create a clear pathway forward. Visualising what you wish to achieve can bring the outcome to life in your mind, inspiring you to be motivated with the energy needed to act and get the thing or decision into reality.
#4. Manage your level of harmony.
Harmony can be achieved; it just takes prioritisation, focus, energy, good decisions, and action. Nothing happens without action. Manage your energy, self-care, thinking time, and self-reflection, and, importantly, know the best time to achieve important work. Are you a morning person or an evening person? We are all different, so find the time that works for you and create boundaries around what is important to you based on your values.
#5. Embrace being an action-taker.
Break decisions and actions down into smaller steps and take it, as they say, one step at a time. Everything can be achieved in stages. One of my mentors told me many years ago, "Slow down to speed up." It took me a while to understand what that meant and how impactful it could be. Keep learning from the decisions and actions you do take, and always bring self-reflection into your thinking.
Bringing more prioritisation, focus, energy, and action-taking into your business and life involves mindset shifts, practical strategies, and consistent habits. By integrating these strategies into your daily life, you can improve your prioritisation, focus, energy, and ability to take consistent action toward your goals. It is true that where focus goes, energy flows, and action shows…
If you would like to discuss how you prioritise creating focus so energy and actions flow, book a complimentary strategy session. We look forward to connecting.
Search Blog
Recent Posts
