Distractions Keep Us From Our Goals

Henry Ford said, "Obstacles are those things which we see when we take our eye off the goal". Our natural human tendency is to focus on the negative rather than the positive. For every good reason to do something, we can always come up with 100 reasons why we can't.

Even though the human brain it a complex organ, it can still only process one thought at a time. If our focus is on those things which stand in the way of our goals, then we cannot simultaneously see the goal. The more negative thoughts we have, the less time we have for positive thoughts.

Here is a simple way to keep your goals in the forefront of your mind. Simply write them down and look at them several times during the day. I have found that constantly reminding myself of what I want to accomplish keeps me going forward and overcoming obstacles.

Golf Lesson

The 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass golf course in Ponte Vedra, Florida is one of the most famous golf holes in the world. It is more commonly known as "The Island Green". The hole is relatively short and most pros hit pitching wedges to the hole. A professional golfer will hit 99 out 100 shots with a pitching wedge within a 25 foot circle on the practice range. The island green measures 80 feet long by 45 feet wide, so if this same area were outlined on the practice range , you would expect pros to land inside the area almost every time.

The record for number of balls into the water for one round of the tournament is 50 in 2007. With 144 players in playing that day, that says one out of three went into the water. What makes this hole so difficult are the obstacles and distractions that confront the golfer. There is obviously water surrounding the hole. There is a bunker in front of the green. Wind can also be a factor.

Sports psychologists will argue that the reason so many balls go into the water, is that many players focus more on the water, than on the green. They subconsciously let all of the potential obstacles distract them. Instead of visualizing the ball landing safely on the green, they see the ball landing in the water.

So if you find yourself stuck and not achieving what you want to achieve, are you visualizing success or are you visualizing failure?