This morning as I perused my email inbox, I noticed a theme to the subject lines. There were several about persistence. John Maxwell had sent a daily message to “keep on keeping on…Those who quit never succeed…never make it to the top.”

And yesterday, while showing a colleague around the ranch, the topic turned to the importance of continuing to “apply pressure.” Keith had read Rainbows Over Ruins and it was his way of explaining what Peter and I have done to accomplish our goals. It was a good way to put it. I call it focus.

In the book, I apply this pressure in a number of ways daily. Gentle or intense, the point is to keep the vision in mind and do at least one thing every day that can help move you toward achieving that goal.

Sounds simple, right? It is. As Jim Rohn would say, “simple to do, simple not to do.”

One of the things that I have discovered through my personal journey is that as a result of consistent focus, many opportunities appear. I may be going along nicely and then begin to notice points of strain, a feeling of completion of one goal while still unclear about the next step. It makes me uneasy. In fact, it is as if my focus is being pulled off course – which it is. For example, Rainbows Over Ruins has just been published. The next progressive step is to promote the book, letting people know about it and, in the process, my work on the subject. However, publication has created a void. The energy I had focused on publication needs to be redirected and I am aware of a flood of projects vying for my attention.

For a time, this makes it challenging to maintain your focus while you go through a process of discernment. You need to ask yourself which action or choice feels most likely to bring you the results that best match your long term vision or short term goal. It is not unusual for the best choice to also include an aspect of personal growth that will require you to reach outside your comfort zone. All of which can be very uncomfortable.

Why is it important to develop your personal process of discernment? You can save yourself a great deal of suffering if you recognize the source of agitation or contrast when it comes up and immediately begin to ask positive, open questions. Why? What if? The answers are often in the questions.

I now pay attention to those feelings. I remember Bob Proctor telling us that we aren’t living close enough to the edge of possibilities unless we feel that way. The discomfort comes from not having made the choice. Once you make it, once you decide the best course of action, you move into action mode and dive right in. The stress reduces and you know where to place your immediate focus once again.

If you are feeling this way, I challenge you to carve out some quiet time to look at your discomforts today and ask what you would prefer. Ask yourself why this preference makes you feel better as you go about your business, doing the next presented thing, maintaining the pressure right where you are while you wait for the answer to come.

To Your Success,

Susan