You Get What You Focus Your Energy On

Each day your life opens onto many opportunities, whether you realize it fully – or not! Most of us automatically delete or distort potential opportunities within the first few minutes of waking as we unconsciously shape our day into its familiar routine, the routine that eventually becomes a rut. Since we don’t have an infinite amount of energy and time, don’t you think it’s time for you to decide about turning the rut of routine into the path to your future? You are the only one who makes the real decisions about where you’ll direct the sum total of energy and time that you’ve got, no one else. Whether those decisions have payoffs you want or end as debits that slow you down, block you up, or wear you out, that’s your decision.

If you’re ready to look at the world as a human being born with free will, you are literally free to make any choice within a huge range of variables (as long as you’re also ready to accept the consequences and rewards). Into which of the fascinating options available to you shall you invest your energy? Where do you even start and what questions might you ask yourself in order to create the satisfying, exciting and profitable life you deserve? Consider applying these questions to your activities, responsibilities, commitments and obligations while you evaluate where you’ll really enjoy putting your energy today.
The questions which will guide your answers:

• Will this item directly contribute to my ability to earn a living? If it is a direct payoff, set it on a high priority; if it is indirect, or worse, detracts from it, leave it alone and let someone else handle it or make the decisions about it. Ditch it, because at this point in your life, recognizing that we are living in a material world gives us certain responsibilities that we ignore at our peril.


• Is this worthwhile or useful now or in the future? Will someone or something need, require or be dependent upon my completion of this and why? Eventually, even if you cannot yet recognize the final outcome, any useful effort will connect you with other people and produce rewarding results. Ask yourself if the usefulness of this task or your involvement in this action will associate you or your completed task with others in a meaningful way. If it is useful, commit enough time and effort to bring it along, even if you may not yet fathom the greater possibilities.


• Will this benefit others as well as myself? Knowing how your efforts may affect or influence others and the larger picture for the better can be the clincher for many decisions!


• When, or will I ever, get an opportunity like this again? Sometimes it really IS once in a lifetime, but that is less true than we would like to think. We largely create the circumstances which can offer us more opportunities like this one in the future, so evaluate this situation with clarity. Is it really a rare chance, or does it just feels like it because you want it so much to be one?


• Will I learn anything from this item, situation, or person? If yes, jump in with both feet, commit and engage, realizing that you have or can develop the capacity to grasp any idea and acquire any skill in your own way with clarity, curiosity and honest effort. Your only mistake would be to try to avoid making any mistakes, because it’s the only way we learn anything. Can you name even one thing of value you’ve ever learned without first being ignorant, confused, and unsure? So welcome the confusion and set about getting clarity with all your mind and heart. Ask yourself, if I involve myself in this situation or with this person, will I grow in quality, capacity or understanding as a human being, not just as a worker bee? If I do this, will I acquire new skills, ideas or insights?


• Can this be delayed or delegated without a problem, or am I the one and only right person capable of handling this situation at this time? Am I involved because no one else will do it? What would happen if I was not available or did not handle it? The answer you arrive at when considering this question can really bring you some meaningful perspective, often releasing you from being the prisoner of your own perceptions – and a lot of wasted energy, worry and effort.


• Are there hidden agenda’s involved that may be worth uncovering with some reflection time before I decide to put my energy into this situation or this person? Can I take a little time to think about this – if not, is the pressure real or created by others artificially? Can I get the same benefit by moving my energies elsewhere? To what extent is guilt or blackmail (emotional pressure or false obligation by an individual or group) a part of the picture? Will my effort be genuinely valuable or am I a sucker, a martyr, or a patsy? If you have not yet developed the wonderful capacity to express yourself firmly regardless of the possible appearance of being rude, crude, or thoughtless, and do it while enjoying a guilt free conscience, it may be time to exercise your opportunity now, if the answer to this question is yes. It is up to you to be fair to yourself and others and draw the line clearly and strongly.


• What is the payoff and is it worth the price in my time, effort, and energy? What is the trade-off to me if I add my effort? Since my time and energy are limited, what do I or those around me have to sacrifice or put off if I get involved?  Are there meaningful benefits that outweigh the consequences immediately or in the future?


• Last but not least: How much fun can I have doing this? If you can’t enjoy at least some of the effort, situation, or consequences, then it’s probably not worth getting involved, unless the payoff is just too awesome, which is not often the case if you’ve gone this far in making your decisions to put your energy into something that may look like an opportunity but is not – it may be an energy drain that holds you back from your real goals and accomplishments. Whatever you do, it should be fun according to your own definitions and have a high enough payoff for you to make it worth doing. You may want to evaluate a lot of the things your currently working on. The results may surprise you.

It’s your energy. You decide where you want it to do the most good. Making these choices involves a risk: because you have 24 hours in your day, and you may need to let go of some things which may at first glance appear to be useful opportunities in order to gain others of greater value. But this is true in everything from walking down the street to opening the door to a new client. Choosing with clarity where you put your energy is the difference between being overwhelmed and getting what you want. Answering these questions takes the drudgery out of the most difficult tasks, and you can be more engaged in every aspect of your life with more awareness, enthusiasm, and satisfaction.

Reflect on the thoughts of David B. Norris: "How you spend your time is more important than how you spend your money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever."