Keep Your Eye on the Ball

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

It’s all about focus and confidence. When you play a sport involving a ball, an early directive is to “keep your eye on the ball.” This makes sense if you think about it. Everything in life demands this type of single focus if you are to succeed.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

You are different from everyone else. Celebrate that. You offer a unique perspective in this game called life. We should all be thanking you. If you are constantly comparing yourself, it means you aren’t happy with who you are. Why is that?

People are brought up to conform to society. If you don’t fit within society’s norms, you are looked upon disapprovingly. However, most people aren’t normal in the truest sense of the word. Everyone has quirks and idiosyncrasies. It is these differences that allow us to find solutions to problems. It also keeps us from getting bored. If everyone were truly the same there would be nothing new for us to discover about one another.

If you try to act in ways in which others believe you should (my least favorite word of all), you aren’t going to live your life to the fullest. That’s why you should get out of the habit of comparing yourself to others. When you do this, you are likely setting unrealistic expectations and will lead you to be disappointed. Comparing yourself to others will result in you resenting those people. They have their reasons for being the way they are, and it has nothing to do with you. Keep your eye on the ball and retain your uniqueness, no matter what.

We have but a short time on this planet. If you spend most of that time trying to be like someone else, you are in for a rough ride. If you stick to who you are and find others willing to accept you for that, you are going to be more satisfied for most of that time you live. Others will be happier with the real you as well. You won’t be a pretender. People see right through that kind of behavior. Just think about others who are not true to themselves. How long does it take you to see through that disguise?

Work on Building Your Confidence

Confidence has a type of energy and emotion associated with it. The kind of emotion it provides is positive and energizing. The emotion is very different than when you beat up on yourself for making a mistake. In that moment it is critical to stay confident so you can remain focused on the challenge at hand rather than on the mistake itself. I like this quote as a good reminder:

“Failure can either define you or refine you.” ~ Ryan Blair

I say let it refine you and in this way it will help you to keep your focus. Confident people, and athletes in particular have an energy that thrives on the challenge of the situation at hand. So keep it a challenge, make changes, refine your game and adjust and focus on what is important.

Generally, confidence has a “bring it on” mentality. This is when an athlete wants to help seal the deal, like taking the final shot in the basketball or hockey game, or be the person at bat when the game is tied in the final inning. Confidence says “the pressure is okay and I can handle it.” This is why confidence and focus make excellent teammates. When you are confident you can focus on what is most important much more easily.

If you are ready to move to the next level in your life and business, remember each day to keep your eye on the ball. This could translate to staying focused on your tasks and activities for the day until they are completed, or to keep working towards and moving forward to reach a bigger goal you have set for yourself.

For example, when I am writing a book, something I have done at least once a year since 2010 my “big picture” goal and focus during those months of writing is to write at least five days a week in order to finish the book. If I get off track for any reason at all, I simply go back to my outline and make sure I am still focused on writing the book I intended to write when I came up with my original idea.

You may have heard about the idea of “bright, shiny objects” derailing entrepreneurs from achieving their goals. If you are keeping your eye on the ball, meaning that you do not allow anyone or anything to make you lose sight of your goal, there is no bright and shiny object that can take you away from doing what needs to be done each day to achieve your goal and reach the finish line.

Can you imagine someone running a marathon or playing a baseball game and walking away before they are done? No, of course not! The batter keeps their eye on the ball, which moves them closer to the bigger picture of making it around the bases to home plate, all the while making sure every step they take is moving them forward in a way that will allow them to succeed. The ball player keeps their eye on the big picture of winning the game, all the while making every effort to do what they are assigned to do for their team to move forward in a positive way.

Confidence allows you to know yourself well enough to make every step of your journey count. In life and in business, you are either moving towards your goal or away from it. Do not second guess your decisions and actions; instead, be confident that you are taking the proper steps to move forward. And if you should get off course for any reason at all, know that you can course correct and still reach your final destination on your journey to success if you keep your eye on the ball.

Think about your life as you are experiencing it at this point in time. Are you comparing yourself to others on a regular basis? Do you feel confident in what you are doing and achieving each day? What specific changes could you make to your routine to improve your life today? How about in thirty days or a year?

No one can tell you exactly what to do to shift your life experience, but using the metaphor of keeping your eye on the ball is a starting point. Try a variety of things to see what occurs. Go to bed earlier, get up later, change up your diet and exercise routine, spend time with new people, spend more time alone, read more, listen to music recommended by a teenage friend, and start a journal. Every breath you take and every move you make can be the beginning of a new life, so keep your eye on the ball!

I’m author and online marketing strategist Connie Ragen Green. I work with entrepreneurs to create multiple streams of online income and would love to connect with you. Download my Online Entrepreneur’s Blueprint and get started right away.