Willie Horton's Personal Development Ezine

A couple of months ago, whilst talking to a group of clients about focus, one of my clients used the pharse 'does it make your boat go faster?' - referring to a book by the Olympic Gold Medal rower, Ben Hunt-Davis. In saying those few words, he touched on what's at the heart of perfect focus.

Hunt-Davis had been an also-ran at two Olypiads before his Gold Medal in Barcelona. In preparation for that victorious third outing, everything he did was evaluated with the question: will this make the boat go faster?

So, the first question for you is: what does the boat going faster mean for you? Do you know what you're aiming for, what you want to achieve. It may seem rather obvious, but, until you know what you're striving for, you're never going to achieve it.

But let's assume that, like a small number of people I know, you do know what you're aiming for. The key question, today and every day, is this: Is what I'm doing right now making my boat go faster? If the answer is No, stop doing it. If it's something you can't stop doing (because your boss of Head Office wants it done) do it as quickly as possible and get back to doing those things - and only those things - that will make your boat go faster.

And, if all this is new to you, give yourself a little space to work out what you're doing, why you're doing it and what you really - and I mean really - want out of life.

And, finally, I won't recommend the book because I haven't read it - at this point in time doing so wouldn't make my boat go faster!