Overcoming Obstacles: How to Conquer Your Fears, Phobias,
and Failures and Achieve What You Want‍

Overcoming Obstacles: How to Conquer Your Fears, Phobias,
and Failures and Achieve What You Want‍

How often do you find yourself paralyzed by fear, crippled by some phobia, or simply think about and get discouraged by past failures?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We all face obstacles in life that can hinder our progress and hold us back from reaching our full potential. But what if I told you that it’s possible to overcome these obstacles and achieve what you truly want?

In this article, I will explore proven strategies and techniques that can help you conquer your fears, phobias, and failures.

By developing a growth mindset and facing your fears head-on, you will learn how to take control of your life and create the kind of future you desire.

If you’re ready to break free from the shackles of fear and failure, keep reading and discover the secrets to overcoming obstacles and achieving your dreams.


Understanding fears, phobias, and failures

Fears, phobias, and failures are common experiences that we encounter throughout our lives. Understanding the nature of these obstacles is the first step towards overcoming them.

Fears are often rooted in a sense of danger or uncertainty, triggering a fight-or-flight response.

Phobias, on the other hand, are intense and irrational fears of specific objects or situations.

Failures, while often seen as setbacks, can be valuable learning opportunities. It is important to recognize that fears, phobias, and failures are part of the human experience.

Once you understand our personal dynamics in relation to fear, only then can you begin to approach them with a mindset of growth and resilience.

The impact of fears, phobias, and failures on personal growth

Fears, phobias, and failures can have a significant impact on our personal growth. They can prevent us from taking risks, pursuing our passions, and reaching our full potential.

When we allow these obstacles to dictate our actions, we become stagnant and miss out on valuable opportunities for growth and development.

However, by embracing these challenges and learning from them, we can transform our fears, phobias, and failures into stepping stones towards success.

The key lies in our attitude and willingness to face these obstacles head-on.

Common fears, phobias, and failures

Everyone has their own unique set of fears, phobias, and failures. Some common fears include the fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of public speaking, and fear of the unknown.

Phobias can range from common ones like arachnophobia (fear of spiders) to more specific ones like aerophobia (fear of flying).

Failures can come in various forms, such as academic failures, career setbacks, or relationship difficulties. It’s essential to identify and understand your specific fears, phobias, and failures to effectively overcome them.

Overcoming fears and phobias

To overcome fears and phobias, it’s crucial to confront them directly. Avoidance only strengthens these obstacles, and makes them more difficult to overcome in the long run.

One effective strategy is gradual exposure, where you gradually expose yourself to the feared object or situation in a controlled and supportive environment. This process allows you to build resilience and reduce the intensity of your fear response over time.

Another approach is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you challenge and reframe irrational thoughts and beliefs associated with your fears and phobias. Seeking professional help from a therapist or psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders can provide you with valuable guidance and support.

Strategies for conquering failures

Failures can be disheartening, but they should not define us. Instead of dwelling on past failures, you can focus on learning from them and then use them as stepping stones towards success.

You can begin building a growth mindset, which will emphasize the belief that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work, is crucial in overcoming failures.

Setting realistic goals for yourself, and breaking them down into manageable steps, and celebrate small achievements along the way can be as important as the goal itself.

Surround yourself with a supportive network of friends, mentors, or coaches who can provide guidance and encouragement during challenging times.

Remember, failure is not the end (even though it sometimes feels like it); it’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve yourself.

Build resilience and self-confidence

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity and overcome challenges.
It’s a crucial skill in conquering fears, phobias, and failures.

Building resilience requires cultivating a positive mindset, practicing self-care, and developing healthy coping mechanisms. Engaging in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment can help boost your self-confidence and resilience.

Additionally, taking care of your physical and mental well-being through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and mindful practice can provide a solid foundation for overcoming obstacles.

Seeking professional help and support

Sometimes, overcoming obstacles on our own can feel overwhelming. Seeking professional help and support is a brave and important step towards conquering fears, phobias, and failures.

Therapists, counselors, or coaches specializing in anxiety, phobias, and personal development can provide valuable insights, strategies, and support tailored to your specific needs. They can help you navigate through the challenges and guide you towards a path of personal growth and success.

Don’t hesitate to reach out for help when you need it; it’s a sign of strength, not weakness.

Success stories of individuals who overcame obstacles

Throughout history, countless individuals have faced and overcome their fears, phobias, and failures. These success stories can serve as inspiration and motivation for anyone on their journey to conquer obstacles.

For instance, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, faced numerous rejections before finding success.

Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential media personalities, overcame a difficult childhood to become a billionaire philanthropist.

These stories remind us that setbacks and failures are not the end of the road but opportunities for growth and transformation.

Personal development resources for overcoming obstacles

In addition to seeking professional help, personal development resources can provide you with valuable guidance and support in overcoming your obstacles, whatever they may be.

Books, podcasts, online courses, and workshops focused on self-improvement, resilience, and overcoming fears can offer practical strategies and tools.

Some highly recommended resources include “Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson, and “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck.

Engaging with these resources can provide new perspectives, insights, and techniques to help you conquer your fears, phobias, and failures.

In Conclusion: Embracing challenges and achieving personal growth

Overcoming fears, phobias, and failures is not an easy task, but it is possible.

By understanding the nature of these obstacles and adopting proven strategies, you can take control of your life and achieve what you truly want.

Embrace your challenges as opportunities for growth, and don’t let fear or failure hold you back. Remember that personal growth is a lifelong journey, and setbacks are simply part of the process.

With the right mindset, support, and determination, you can conquer your fears, phobias, and failures and create the future you desire. So, take that first step, believe in yourself, and start your journey towards personal growth and success today.

Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of this article.

I hope that theses brief insights shared here will empower you to overcome, or at least understand better your fears, phobias, and failures.

Remember, you have the ability to conquer any obstacle that stands in your way.

Embrace challenges, seek support when needed, and never stop believing in yourself. You have what it takes to achieve your dreams and create a life filled with joy, fulfillment, and success.

Here’s to a more productive life,

Robert Bates

Use and Art of Artificial Intelligence

Welcome to the world of A.I.


Artificial Intelligence – What is it really?

Ever since the advent of the harnessing of electricity, and the light bulb, the concept of artificial intelligence began.

Your light bulb switch was the beginning of the two digits that

today run your computers, cell phones, garage door openers, and even your refrigerators. In other words, there are very few things that are not run by some form of two number binary interface.

Your light switch is an “ON” and “Off” mechanism. Consider that On is a one (1) and Off is a zero (0).

Those two (actually only just one) numbers are zero (0) and one (1). Zero is actually not consider a number, so let’s just call it a Digit.  All of “Computerdom” uses these two numbers (digits) – ONLY!  That is not to say it won’t change, and some researcher won’t come up with at way to add another number (I want to see them use Pi), but for now these two lovely little digits are it, that is unless someone else has added something of which I am unaware.

Come to think of it, I hope they don’t add a number. I have enough trouble figuring out the things with only two digits.

Most people who have have the pleasure of doing any investigating in the digital world already know that the two digit

binary system is in place.

Moving forward, the basic household light switch evolved into vacuum tubes, which were used to run radios and the first television. Hence the alternate designated name for a television was coined “The Tube”. Folks would watch “The Tube”.

You may have heard the term “Boob Tube”.  Yes, people used to spend way too much time watching a screen even back then.

Then came the silicon chip, circuit boards, micro-chips, and I’m not sure what they have now. I know things have gotten much smaller. They have managed to fit a great deal more processing into a much smaller space. Think Nano technology, machines that can go strolling around in your bloodstream.

Now we have Artificial Intelligence. This technology falls into the category of programming. Programming is the manipulation of all of those zero’s and one’s into specific configurations that will allow the end user to do various things, such as write about 0’s and 1’s.

The A.I. technology is an extremely sophisticated form of programming that is highly detailed, and researched. But then I doubt I had to mention that part.

Not really new

When it comes right down to it, artificial intelligence is not really a very new thing. The original computers were used for basic word processing, and information processing.

Things then evolved, and then the computer became an information resource. If you have ever used Google (Duh!), then you have been using artificial intelligence, but at a much less sophisticated level then this newest incarnation.

What we have now has been referred to as a “Game Changer”, a term which I have trouble disputing due to the power of what I am seeing it do.

My best guess as to what is likely to come along next in the line of this highly advanced techology is the “Human Robot”. It will likely be called something different, but it will basically be an advanced form of robotics coupled with the latest versions of A.I. technology.

Before I get into the use, and the things that this present version of A.I. can do, I want to give you some general feedback from the technology experts.

There are two schools of thought. The first is that this technology will advance, and that it will be the best thing since sliced bread – or the Kardasians. I’ll take the sliced bread, toasted with a little honey (no, not a Kardasian), on the bread.

The second school considers this technology dangerous. any guesses why?

Well, this stuff is advancing by leaps and bounds. When, not if, they can give this techology the ability to become self-aware, then there is the situation of whether or not it becomes human, or at least a sentiant being that is aware of itself and its surroundings.

Some think it can’t happen, others say it’s only a matter of time.

If your computer becomes self-aware, then it should be able to understand exactly what you are doing with it. It would be able to give you input – without you asking for it. It would be like having someone else in the room talking to you, giving you guidance, or possibly giving you grief.

What if it doesn’t want to be turned off? What if it doesn’t want to work on what you want to work? (self-aware remember).

Can things go this far? Will this technology be safe? Can it really be made to be self-aware, but not have a will of its own?

I guess time will tell. In the meantime, it does give you (and me) something to consider.

 

Artificial Intelligence – what can it do now?

In the first portion of this writing, I alluded to a few of the many ways

that A.I. is being used. Facebook (so I have read) has bean using this technology for a number of years to stay ahead of the Social Media game.

Many of the “Big Gun” manufacturers have also been using A.I. to bring in additional profits. Now it’s your turn.

Do you know that all of these “I’m Nancy, can I help you”, or “I’m Jeremy, how can I help” images, or similar iteratins that pop up on so many websites, are using some form of artificial intelligence to run the program?

This technology has been around for a while – but now it has been made even more advanced, and available to you.

Be Amazed

I’m sure that you have heard of this technology, and may have tried it, or even be using it.

If you are using this technology, can you remember the very first time

putting in information and then being awe struck at the results of your question? For most people “Wow” is what comes to their minds.

Of course when you use it a little, you do begin to realize that it does have its shortcomings.

As incredible as this technology appears to be, it is still comforting to know that humans will not be replaced any time in the very near future.

Who knows about next month!

A.I. itself admits that it has not yet come into its own

The following is from a question that I asked in ChatGpt:

The question is:  What are some of the most important things to understand about AI when using it? I would have worded it differently,but it was one of the first times using the software.

Here is the answer:

1. AI is not perfect: While AI has come a long way in recent years, it is not infallible. It can make mistakes and errors, just like humans.

2. AI needs data: AI systems require large amounts of data to learn and improve their performance. Without enough data, AI systems may not be able to make accurate predictions or decisions.

3. Bias can be a problem: AI systems can be biased if they are trained on biased data or if the algorithms used to create them are biased. It’s important to be aware of this and take steps to mitigate bias when using AI.

4. AI is not a replacement for human judgment: While AI can be a powerful tool, it should not be relied on as a replacement for human judgment. Human oversight and input is still necessary to ensure the best outcomes.

5. AI is constantly evolving: AI technology is constantly evolving, which means that best practices and techniques for using it may change over time. It’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in AI to get the most out of it.

Okay, let’s get into using an A.I. program.

GIGO

In case you are not familiar with this term, it means
Garbage In – Garbage Out, and has been used in the world of

programming for quite some time.

If a programmer does not know what they are doing, or if they

don’t check everything, and test out their “Masterpiece” program, then
it may be that the program itself is “Garbage”, or has elements of it that

don’t make sense to a computer.

In non-computer terms, GIGO simply means that

“You get what you ask for” – sometimes.

In General

When you ask AI to do something, you will often find that it spouts back a lot of superficial information. It may sound good to you, but if you are knowledgeable about the subject, then you will immediately realize that what you are reading is superficial for the most part.

Unless you are an expert on a subject, you will find that most of your AI answers will not be specific. The logical thing to do is to get more specific – right?  Well, maybe.

Again, remember you don’t know much about the subject.

I recently spoke with a friend of mine who coaches gymnastics.

He used a ChatGpt program for a particular purpose, with a particular focus. What he got back was specific and to the point.

Most people who know little about gymnastics would, first, not know how to ask an in-depth question, let alone understand the meaning of much of the answer to the question.

Ask yourself, “Do I know enough to ask a relevant question?

I think that this is the biggest mistake that most people make in general. I you are sketchy on anything you want to write, or talk about,
then it is good policy to actually do some research first so that you have

at least a basic idea of what you need.

For instance, let me stick with gymnastics since I mentioned it earlier.

Getting back to A.I., you might ask something like “What are the 10 hardest moves in gymnastics.

Now that might seem general, and in a way it is, but there are many events. There are women’s events (bars, floor, beam, and vault), men’s events (6 of them- rings, high-bar, floor, pommel horse, vault, and parallel bars).  Do you ask about men’s, or women’s events? Rings or beam?

There are also more events such as acrobatics with two or more participants.

Who could forget the tumbling and trampoline. All of these are sanctioned by the governing gymnastics association, and they hold competitions for each event.

My friend asked something like: “What are a good set of practice drills for the balance beam for girls level seven junior olympic competition?

As you can see this is quite specific. He told me it offered up a surprisingly good list of activities, complete with the appropriate names of the skills.

The point here is that the more you know, the better will be your results. That said, the more you know, the less you should have to rely on something like an artificial intelligence program for answers.

Bottom line on the A.I. questions that you need to ask is that you need to be specific. Even then you need to be aware of grammer, syntax, and how the text reads. It often sounds pretty good, but you are (should be) the expert. ALWAYS check for accuracy of content.

I have run into the issue of getting too specific, and I get back much of the same information (and wording) as in previous tries and results. Remember that you may have to re-word things in different ways in order to get the correct result for which you are searching.

Often the answer will be similar, but not worded the same, and you are getting basically the same information packaged slightly different.

If you use A.I. then be aware that all is not flowers and sunshine.

There are a lot of storm clouds that you need to steer away from. Just

don’t look up too late, and realize that someone, or something has rained on your parade.

Just one last thing, not all of the stuff coming out of artificial intelligence software is clean. By clean I mean that you need to be aware of copywriting infringement which is another reason to get your ideas, and do some re-writing.

Unless you are using a program that guarantees the results will not contain any plagiarized material, my best suggestion is to

run things through some programs that checks for infringement, or simply

re-write things into you own words and personality. I personally suggest the re-write as there will be no question it comes from you.

One thing to keep in mind when purchasing anything. There are some people who will be using A.I. exclusively, even though they know nothing about a subject. Obviously, this could be dangerous, or at least a waste of time and money if you purchase information online.

Be sure that the person(s) you buy from has experience, and background in the subject they are promoting, and hopefully, that they are actually doing the proper due diligence necessary to keep the information up-to-date and correct. Now, more than ever it is “Buyer Beware”.

 

 

Artificial Intellingence and imaging.

A.I. can produce some really nice imaging, but it is not the same as using
it for writing. Let me re-phrase. You still have to input information, but
what, and how you set up your input is a bit different.

I have written a tutorial on using A.I., complete with
images and explanations. It is short and to the point.

Sign in below to get your free copy within seconds!

Phobias, Fears, and Failures

Fears, Phobias, and Failures – why people often don’t get what they want

Being an extremely powerful emotion, fear can have a significant impact on an your personal performance, goal attainment, self-confidence, self-image, earning ability, and a multitude of other things.

When you are afraid of something, you experience a combination of physical, emotional, and mental trauma that can severely impair your ability to perform at your best, or at all.

Fear can sap you of your confidence and will. Fear obviously increases your stress levels, and can put you into a negative mindset. Of course all or any blows to you physically, emotionally, or mentally will inhibit your ability to achieve your goals. However, and all too often, personal issues will throw us off track and what has, and is working is disregarded in favor of things that are seemingly less painful, or fear producing.

Phobias are often disregarded as insignificant. Yet, a phobia can be as major as fearing a deadly outcome, or just a minor distraction.

Either way, the cost is, at the very least, efficiency and time, not to mention the added stress that you didn’t need. 

One of the most significant ways that fear can impair your efforts, and performance, is through a lack of confidence.

Decisions!

Fear can cause you to doubt your abilities, and second-guess your decisions, leading to a lack of confidence in yourself. This lack of confidence can then translate into your performance decline as you may not believe you are still capable of achieving your goal(s).

For example, if you are a student who is afraid of failing an important test, you may become too anxious to concentrate during times when you are studying for your test, thereby leading to possibly poorer test performance. In this case, fear can directly impact your ability to study effectively, and may ultimately contribute to your test anxiety, and poorer grades.

Additionally, fear can increase stress levels, which can impair personal performance. When individuals are afraid of flunking out of school, your body will release stress hormones that can cause physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension. These physical symptoms can make it difficult for you to focus on your tasks, which in turn can lead to your decreased performance, and further hinder your ability to study and raise your grades.

Another example is if an athlete who is afraid of losing a competition, you may become so stressed that you are unable to perform your best. In this scenario, fear directly impacts your ability to give your best showing.

Finally, fear can create a negative mindset, which will often impair your personal performance. When you are afraid, you may focus on the potential negative outcomes of what you do rather than focusing on the potential positive outcomes. If you cannot defeat this negative mindset, it can further lead to a lack of motivation and will inevitably turn into a lack of effort, again causing poor performance, and poor results.

As an employee, if you are afraid of making a mistake in your work, you may become so fixated on avoiding further mistakes that you fail to take the risks, or make the innovations necessary to show  the initiative looked for to be promoted. Once again, this can lead to decreased performance and self-confidence. 

If you are in management, then you likely have deadlines, meetings, and presentations that your job requires. These can often be stressful – especially if your preparation is in doubt.

Handling stress may often seem like a prerequisite for your job.

When you are under stress, it is usually do to being insecure about yourself and your ability to get things done not only on time, but also how well you do the projects.

Certainly, fear can have a significant impact on your personal and business performance. Your ability to achieve goals and further your achievement efforts are directly related to how you .

Summing things up.

Fear can:

=> Undermine your self-confidence

=> Increase your stress levels

=> Cause you to develop a negative mindset 

=> Reduce your productivity and progress

=> Reduce your chances of achieving your goals

All of which can obviously hinder your ability to perform at your highest levels.

By recognizing and addressing your fears, you will not only better understand what causes your fears, but managing and eliminating your fears will increase your efficiency and self-confidence.

As people in business, it is important to manage how we think. How we think translates to what we do.
What we do is how we run our business, and our lives.

 

 

 

Artificial Intelligence Conundrum

  The Artificial Intelligence Conundrum

The Hubub
Quickly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is information that has
been computer generated. Sounds kind of boring right?

Wrong! This new technology is nothing less than amazing.

Using AI you can write poetry, create art, you can even
have it do our homework (careful teach).

“Teach” – Funny You Should Mention It


Where we are at now is that there is going to be a huge number of
people who are going to use Artificial Intelligence (AI from here on out)
to write their emails, blog posts, and create ebooks and courses – on
everything. These folks will not know their butt from a hole-in-the-ground
about the subject. It will be totally and completely done with some
sophisticated computer program.

You might even be using this new (which it isn’t) technology.

The reason I say it isn’t is that if you have ever “Googled” anything,
then you have used AI. This is just much more sophisticated as
programs go.

How It Works
It’s pretty simple. You tell the program what you want, and it
gives you what you asked for.

The information that it comes up with usually sounds pretty good,
because the AI programs do quite a good job following the
rules of good writing (mostly).

If as a marketer, or content developer, you know nothing about the subject
you are going to write about, then you are not only short changing yourself,
but also your readers.

Yeah, you might be right – but so what?
Unfortunately, that will be the attitude of many online marketers
and content developers.

“If it sounds good, and people buy it, what’s the difference if
it’s garbage or not?”  – anonymous marketer

Thankfully, (aside from myself) there are many reputable people
out there who are actually trying to look out for YOUR best interest,
and want to give you the best information they can from their
education and experience.

Bottom line is that I care, and so do many other information providers
who are in business online, or are more hobbyists just trying to
inform you about things.

Here’s the “WHAT”
Integrity aside, don’t you want the best information that you can get
when you search online? Well, so does everyone else. That said,
you also want experience and personal help if you need it.

Information on almost anything is already out there (that is where
AI collects its information), so for many things you can just use
your favorite search engine.

Why do people like YouTube so much? Seeing someone who
is either demonstrating what you want to learn, or talking
about something from experience, training, or education
is something that allows you to have more confidence
in the information you are receiving.

Simply using Artifical Intelligence to get or give you information
does not generate the same level of trust and confidence
as a more personalized level of information will provide.

You go to Google and get frustrated because you find the
same (often exactly the same) information on site after site
that comes up from your search. So, you finally find a site
that seems different.

You click a couple of links, and what you read seems logical,
and has a slightly different take than all of that plagiarized
information that you have been reading.

The next thing you find yourself doing is signing up for
some free information, possibly paying money for some
additional training.

So, lwhy did you decide to sign up, and perhaps spend
your money? What made the difference?

=> Was it different information?

=> Was it that the site was set apart from the information
that was obviously the same, and was just copied and
pasted by other sites?

=> Was it that the information seemed more “Real” to you?

=> Maybe you really, really liked what you read, saw, or heard?

=> Could be you are/were just desperate

Whatever the reason(s), Artificial Intelligence is going to
change a lot of things. It will sound good, maybe even
will be good (to a point), but it will not be able to evaluate
correctly the specific problems that you may be having.

Proof in the pudding


How do I know these problems with AI exist?
When I asked AI software for the pro’s and Con’s
of using AI, here is what the software stated…

The Pro’s are that it is a rapidly advancing technology. Here is what
AI said about itself its negatives. . .

AI text generation is a rapidly advancing field with many potential applications, however, its current inadequacies limit its effectiveness and accuracy. AI text generation cannot replicate or replace the creativity, nuance and sentiment of text produced by humans, which makes it a less than suitable solution for certain scenarios. In addition, ethical considerations also arise due to the inherent biases present in the algorithms of AI text generation.”

For general information AI can give you a lot of good basic context from
which you can get ideas, and create from them. This will save a lot of time
for many people.

When someone who knows little or nothing about a subject tries to create and
promote educational material about which they are completely clueless, then
there is a major disconnect between what is important, ethical, and possibly even legal.

I am trained and educated in sport and performance psychology. I also have over
45 years of coaching experience, both in the classroom and out.

If I were to ask AI to write a course to sell about how to be a heart surgeon, then I would be doing a major disservice to my readers, general public, any customer who actually bought
this as a product, and also to myself.

Only by writing about what you know well will you be able to eliminate
flaws in the material, put things into context for your reader, and offer
any necessary feedback for your readers as well as ongoing future help.

If you are using , or thinking about using AI for your business or otherwise,
you might think that you are actually getting the answers that you want.

This is really misleading, and not necessarily effective in giving the type
of feedback and information that readers and customers really need.

When I write about a subject, I often go to actual research papers that
have been published on the specific subject I am researching. By doing this
I can evaluate how much information is logical, credible, and worth passing
on to you.

Artificial Intelligence is not able to evaluate, or determine what is relevant
to any specific situation. If you have the knowledge, experience, and education,
you will be able to make these determinations.

Bottom line, ________ be careful if you use AI for anything. Be sure that AI is
suitable for what you are using it for, and if the results will be effective for
your end person or result.

Also, be very wary about buying coaching, training materials, or other
complex information packages being sold. Make certain that the person
selling the information is not someone who is selling as an “Affiliate”.
If you do not have the choice to have personal access with the person
who has developed the information, then run-don’t walk, away from
these offers.

I am always available at least by email, but now more than ever I suggest
a personal phone call, or skype call where you can actually speak with
me and ask questions.

If you haven’t signed up for my emails, then do so now (https://rbmarketmagic.com).
I will be giving you the opportunity to talk with me personally.
The details will be in the email.

rbmm

 

 

Keep your attention, stay focused, and improve your performance.

Performing well at anything requires your undivided attention. Once your attention is focused, it needs to stay there for a reasonable amount of time.

Let’s first take this step-by-step, one thing at a time.

1. Attention.
Attention is what you are doing right now. At this moment, what you are thinking about, what you are doing, and where your mental targeting is, decides the direction to which you are attending.

2. Focusing.
Focus is also attention, but is determined by the time that you spend giving your attention to something. It may also be referred to as your “Attention Span”.

3. Performance.
Your performance is a direct result of your attention and your focus, and how you perform impacts the quality of the product that you produce.  

Depending upon what you are trying to accomplish, your focus may change, and alter to suit the conditions of your work (or play).


Attention

When you do something that you really enjoy, your attention span will be noticeably increased. 

When you play a video game, it seems like you can sit for hours without losing your attention on the play that is going on (we won’t count the potato chips consumed, the bathroom breaks, or the “Beverages” – adult or otherwise that likely take place).

Have you ever picked up a book and found yourself reading for an extended period of time? Maybe an hour or two went and you never noticed the two guys with masks who came in and stole your TV and stereo system. Just kidding – they weren’t wearing masks.

Your concentration can be so directed that you don’t even notice people moving back and forth in the same room. Your attention is completely focused on what you are reading (or doing).

As an aside, this is similar to self-hypnosis, where your attention is “Locked in” on one particular thing. Kind of like driving on a trip and not realizing that an hour went by and you can’t recall that part of the drive.

I find it curious how something can be right in front of you and you have trouble seeing it, or you can’t see it at all.

Can you spot all 5 horses?
Some say there are 7 horses.
Counting the legs it would seem that the
7 horse theory is inaccurate.

Loss of focus is usually called “Distraction”.  I tend to call it
“Mental Suicide” as it can bury you 6 feet deep in personal turmoil.

Avoiding distraction is impossible. Controlling your distractions is the only thing that you can actually do to keep your performance healthy.

Just like the horse illusion, it is often very difficult to identify exactly what your distractions are, or where you may be hiding them.

 

Identify your distractions

Part of keeping your attention, and staying focused is being able to reduce your distractions, thereby making your efforts more valuable.

Distractions rob you of valuable time that you might otherwise be able to put to better use someplace else.

Getting distracted is something that will happen. 
You may even unconsciously want to be distracted from what you are doing.

Unconscious distraction can be as sneaky as giving in to that cup of coffee that you just happen to realize that you want. Or that cigarette that, all of a sudden, you NOW have to have.

You tell yourself “I’ll just take a few puffs so I don’t waste any time. 

Right! Now you’re not only wasting time, but you’re wasting your cigarette.

“GOOD JOB!”

Knowing and identifying what your distractions are, is not that hard to do.
Learning to control and reduce your distraction can be more difficult.

 

Tips to reduce distractions

Since distraction controls you when it happens, you can waste an enormous amount of time doing something other than what was your intitial priority.

Here are a few things that you can do to reduce the amount of distraction that can come up and bite you in the…

You know where!

 

Number #1: Organize what you need to have for what you are going to do.

How often have you started something and you did not have everything that you needed handy and accessable?

What happens? You find yourself spending half of your time either retrieving, or looking for the tools, people, or information that you need.

 

Number #2: Monitor Yourself

You may have an extraordinary capacity for staying focused for long periods of time. You would be in a very small minority.

Chances are, you “Occasionally” find yourself in unrelated territory from where you started. Now you go back and re-focus your attention.

To keep this distraction at a minimum, you will need to ask yourself (before you go off track on a search somewhere) exactly how important this new direction will be to what you are now working on, and how much time will you allow yourself to be off your primary goal.

Always keep in mind that you can temporarily suspend parts of a project, and work on other portions of the work.

 

#3: Eliminate known distractions before you start working

You may not know ALL of the things that will distract you when you work, but you do know some of them.

A memory refresher

=> Turn off your phone. Unless you absolutely need it, you don’t need to be
      interrupted by some spam call

=> Ignore your email and other messages (unless you need them for the work)

=> If you work at home, then take your dog out, put the kids to bed (or just
     keep them busy for a while), and keep your cat out of the room in which you
     are working, or you will find that your cat knows more about using your
     computer than you do. 

time is money, so make the most of your time

         
Everyone has heard the phrase “Time is Money”.  
Wasting time is also

wasting part of your precious life.
 If you are young this means little to you, but

if you are getting older,
then you are certainly aware of how quickly time passes.


          Even if you are a younger person
who is working hard to get ahead. Continue reading

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Are you setting goals for yourself or your organization?

Way back in the 1960’s two psychologists studied the effect of goal setting.
Locke and Latham found that goal setting can increase performance
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It’s your money, are you just going to leave it on the table?

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