Setting Your Primary Focus (Blog)

[Steve Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

Setting Your Primary Focus

[Goyis]

Hello Steve and everybody else!

What do you think is the best way to implement this (yearly primary focus) into the Personal Accountablity System?

Primary focus seems more general, and PAS is very specific.

Any tips?

G.

[wheelie]

I believe I will begin today with a mind map. These seem to be working very well for me as a visualization tool and have the added benefit of being more reliable than my memory. I really like mindmanager. These last 2 quarters I have been reading and researching heavily on personal productivity, business modeling, economics, finance and health. Most of the real changes have been on the health front (Vegan for 3 months, training for bicycle racing, gym attendance) but now I feel I must pull the trigger on my financial life. "Action" is my keyword for 2007 and I intend to create high value while paying attention to streams of income as they introduce themselves to me. I own two small businesses that I hope to streamline ala 'E-Myth' but will time invest heavily on a new business model chosen more carefully and purposefully. Best wishes to all.

(PS My favorite 'win' for 2006 was finally learning to touch-type. This is huge. I used typingmaster pro if anyone is interested. This has increased my productivity and utility ten fold. End the era of hunt and peck today!)

[kevinw1]

I worked my way through the book "Your Best Year Yet" by Jinny Ditzler over the holidays this year, and one of the things it does is have you pick a primary focus for the year. So, good reinforcement, Steve :-)

My primary focus for the year is to build a business which is actually capable of supporting me. I have put way too much time over the last few years into ventures which, it turns out, *can't* be developed into producing enough money to live on. Not time wasted - I've learned plenty - but it's time to do something different.

Steve mentioned his focus for 2007 as Teamwork. I recommend a book by Paul and Sarah Edwards called "Teaming Up".

Kevin

[eastcoastgirl]

Hi, Steve and everyone,

Good article. I'm going to do it. I'm going to focus on my relationships.

Here's a weird problem, though. I am an obsessive person, and I tend to get depressed. I've been fairly successful at controlling these things with exercise, counseling, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. I even use intention-manifestation to get rid of depression. I'm trying to stay off of antidepressants. I'm not compulsive. But I will fixate on something to the exclusion of everything else. At work, that's great. I complete projects and I meet deadlines. No problems there. Sometimes when I'm obsessing, though, it interferes with living my life.

How does a person like me, who is mentally health-challenged, focus on improving an area of my life without obsessing? Where's the line? Do I put the intention out there and forget about it? Do I think about it for a set time every day?

I want to maintain balance and peace of mind. Any advice would be appreciated.

[helgi]

This made me realize something very important about how I approach personal development. I realized that when it comes to growth, I have two categories: Primary/absolute and Secondary/relative.

The primary one is for spiritual growth, secondary for 'personal' growth (productivity, finances, relationships etc.). Which means that the primary one is constant and non-negotiable, and that choosing my main focus as suggested in the article would then only apply to the secondary one.

Does this make sense? I guess it comes from my feeling that all the PD areas are important but only relatively so, while the spiritual is beyond the personal and thus beyond personal development.

Basically, I would be willing to give up everything (ambitions, things, money, skills) for inner peace. And while this is not necessary -- these are not mutually exclusive -- it's important for me to have my priorities straight. Inner = absolute, outer = relative.

And then of course the beautiful thing is that when you put 'inner' first, everything becomes much easier on the 'outer' level. Inner peace begets effortless productivity, clarity of purpose etc.

But anyway, I've decided that my #1 secondary focus for this year will be on business/asset development. I'm graduating school next spring, and need to start generating income (without getting a job, of course!).

[richie]

hi everyone my goal is to generate 1/2 million dollars this year (planning to start two small business which i have to turn big ones,hehe) from almost negligible amount of money i have, my health would be my secondary concern,and my third would be to get in a relationship.Adding my primary focus goal to my signature.

[belugagirl]

This past year was the year of "letting go" and was greatly successful. I can now more easily "let go" of thoughts of regret or guilt, and I can also more easily let go of objects that I was reluctant to part with before. (This is a biggie. I am a packrat who assigns sentimental significance to EVERYTHING and is . . . was . . . surrounded by clutter as a result.) I've reduced my need to cling to the past, and now I am freer to focus on the future! Yay!

This year my focus will be awareness of time. I tend to fritter it. A lot. Hours disappear and I look back and can't believe so much time has passed with so little to show for it. Much of this has to do with procrastination--a lifelong problem for me. But thinking "don't procrastinate" isn't very helpful. Instead, I'm going to heighten my awareness of how time is passing and how I am spending it. This will have two parts: 1) embracing "timeliness" (like saying something or doing something at the appropriate moment), and 2) Pausing frequently to become mindful of what I am doing in any moment and asking myself whether this is how I want to spend this hour (or whatever) of my life, or whether there's something else that would be more valuable. I'm pretty confident that I can make better choices about how I spend my time if I just take the time to be mindful of the fact that I am choosing.

Success to all on your goals!
And may you find joy in both the struggle and the accomplishment!

[eastcoastgirl]

I've spent the last 2 years focusing on my physical and spiritual development. Steve mentioned a ripple effect, where improvement in one area can improve another. My spiritual development has resulted in improving my relationships with friends and making new friends. It has helped me to be more open minded, generous, and loving. I tend to isolate myself, so these things are kind of big for me.

My spiritual journey, and in a strange way, my physical development, has also drawn attention to where I am seriously lacking in the relationship with my family and in romantic relationships. The interesting thing is that I focused on physical and spiritual development without the benefit of knowing anything about intention-manifestation or Steve Pavlina. I went down this path out of desperation. No matter the reason, now I can consciously focus on my relationships.

[annie]

I have mixed feelings about this concept of a major focus. It's because my emphasis is always on BALANCE. I have many potential clients that call saying..."Hey, I'm calling because I've heard you have an incredible method that will help me make a lot of money". I have committed that I won't take on a client unless they are willing to work the WHOLE system...which is about Spirituality, relationships, physical, emotional/personal development and of course FINANCES/Profession. In my mind true success and happiness comes from balance....findining fulfillment in all areas.

With all that said.....I know there is truth and merit in having a major focus. (as long as we don't let the other areas go). But....I just can't seem to narrow it down. So I think I'm going to MAJOR in my contribution/profession and MINOR in my physical (lose 10 lbs and get a time of under 3 hours in 4 triathlons! )

[The Probabilist]

Originally Posted by annie

I have mixed feelings about this concept of a major focus. It's because my emphasis is always on BALANCE. I have many potential clients that call saying..."Hey, I'm calling because I've heard you have an incredible method that will help me make a lot of money". I have committed that I won't take on a client unless they are willing to work the WHOLE system...which is about Spirituality, relationships, physical, emotional/personal development and of course FINANCES/Profession. In my mind true success and happiness comes from balance....findining fulfillment in all areas.

With all that said.....I know there is truth and merit in having a major focus. (as long as we don't let the other areas go). But....I just can't seem to narrow it down. So I think I'm going to MAJOR in my contribution/profession and MINOR in my physical (lose 10 lbs and get a time of under 3 hours in 4 triathlons! )

If you read through the article again you'll notice that balance is what Steve meant as the purpose of this exercise. The primary focus is set on that which deserves the most attention so that it can be pushed upward closer to the levels of other areas of personal growth. If you're already very well balanced then that's great.

[norbert]

I decided my primary focus to be service this year. Making the best contribution, reaching as many people as I can. Getting out of the lightworker syndrome. The basic foundation has been layed down in 2006 (started a company, gained some initial clients and partners etc). Now I'm gonna focus on service and delegation (which should result in adequate cashflow and leverage = more control over time, financials etc).

Secondary focus is also on growth, both the personal and business aspect: relationships, financial, health, social etc.

Happy New Year y'all!

[Kylark]

My primary focus this year is Character. That means keeping my word to myself and others, showing up on time, being honest with myself and others. Little things like organization and returning library books on time also fall under this category. Can anyone recommend any books/articles/resources on Character?

[dalante]

My primary focus will be my professional activity.

My goal is to develop at least a £2,000 monthly cashflow from the activity of writing so that I can quit my current job and dedicate myself entirely to creating stories.

[phoenixmama]

That was a great article. Last year I really lost focus on anything and it shows (in debt, low energy from bad diet, kids more unruely). Now I feel that I have to start all over again. My biggest issues are lack of organization and time management, reducing debt, increasing sales in family business and developing a stronger spiritual relationship with God and improve my families eating habits. My problem is that I get overwhelmed when I see that I have so many issues to deal with that I just dont do anything and nothing gets dealt with.

I will re-read the article but I guess I wonder how to choose what to where to focus when so many things need to be addressed.

[danas]

Thanks Steve for this great New Year blog!
This year my focus on finding a partner, falling in love and growing in a relationship which leads to starting a family. In the past years I have been focusing on my career as an artist, and I having been moving forward sucsessfully. I found this reltively easy as I believe in myself, and am very ambitious. Ive been working hard, and making the right contacts, so Ive had several exhibitions world wide, winning prizes etc... But although Ive been in several relationships, I havent yet found "the one", or, He hasnt found me. What would be the right actions to take to fullfill this part in my life? I decided to stop internet dating even though I found a long term relationship through it, because I just dont want to keep "looking". I just want to be found. Im tired of blind dates, but I do go out at least once- twice a week, write my intensions in my journal, and have been investing time in my home. I do yoga almost daily, eat healthy and find it easy to attract guys, But I havent attracted the one I felt really "right" with yet, or thew relationship didnt last.
any other suggestions on how I focus on this? Or should I just keep visualising until it happens. Thanks

[Kylark]

Originally Posted by phoenixmama

That was a great article. Last year I really lost focus on anything and it shows (in debt, low energy from bad diet, kids more unruely). Now I feel that I have to start all over again. My biggest issues are lack of organization and time management, reducing debt, increasing sales in family business and developing a stronger spiritual relationship with God and improve my families eating habits. My problem is that I get overwhelmed when I see that I have so many issues to deal with that I just dont do anything and nothing gets dealt with.

I will re-read the article but I guess I wonder how to choose what to where to focus when so many things need to be addressed.

Phoenixmama,

I found Steve's podcast here on Truth and Awareness to be really helpful. I went through as he suggested and rated 13 different areas of my life on a scale from 1 to 10. (The 13th was something I added, Art and Creativity.) I found it very revealing... many areas in my life are lower than 4. However, through doing this exercise, my intuition revealed one area that I need to work on the most. For me, that one area is Character. I feel that many areas in my life will improve if I learn to follow through on my commitments to myself and others. For you, it may be something different. But I bet if you do the exercise you'll find what area should be your main focus. Let us know what you come up with! Good Luck!

[phoenixmama]

Thanks Kylark

I re-read the essay and listened to that podcast. It definitely clarified what I should do. I evaluated all the the diferent areas and determined the very worst but also with the most impact was character-self-disclipline. My lack of self disclipline affects every other area in my life. So I am trying to create a plan to address it. I am re-reading Steves series on self disclipline now. I am picking two areas to start a 30 day to success. Exercise and Internet usage. Starting monday I am going to limit my internet to 15 min a day and Im going to walk min 30 min a day with my kids.

Anyway, thanks again for your comments.