Mental Strength Through Focus

Focus on what matters

You might be giving away your personal power?without even knowing it.?That's what happens when you lose focus?and allow unhelpful thoughts and emotions?to hijack you and take over.?Mental strength is about reclaiming your power,?which is greatly helped by focusing on what matters.?

Use the acronym POWER, P-O-W-E-R?to maintain focus on five things?the mentally strongest keep focus on.?

P, presence in the moment.?We've all been there when you're there,?but not really there.?Someone's talking to you?and while you're physically present,?your mind is elsewhere.?Harvard research shows our minds?aren't focused on what's right in front of us,?an astonishing 47% of the time.?Times at which you're measured happiness?is that it's lowest by the way.?Instead, before engaging with someone,?ask yourself, what has my attention right now??Remind yourself to zone in, not out.?To be mindful, not mindfull.?Or think of your brain like a filled dry erase board.?Imagine taking a wet sponge across it?to wipe it free of distracting thoughts.?

O, only self-comparison.?You know the drill.?You downplay your accomplishments?by comparing them to someone else's.?You convince yourself that you're not enough,?but you must focus on the only comparison that matters?to who you were yesterday?and whether or not you are becoming?a better version of yourself.?And you must believe that you are already enough?and are getting better every day.?

W, what you can control.?Obvious, I know, and yet it's so difficult.?Your brain instinctively revisits negative events,?wishing for a better outcome?or it worries over a variety of possible catastrophes.?It might feel like you're problem solving,?but you're not.?You're just overthinking things.?Instead, focus on the only things?you can truly can control.?Your attitude, your effort,?your self-talk, and your breathing.?Yep, don't forget the power of a few deep,?slow breaths for refocusing an anxious mind.?

E, establish your definition?of success and focus on that.?It's easy to lose sight of what matters to you?and get caught up in what's expected?of you or what others define as success.?For example, maybe others think success?is if you get that next big promotion,?but maybe you'd be happier staying?at your level while mentoring and coaching others.?The point is stay focused on success?that's meaningful to you.?The word meaning starts with me- for a reason.?

R, release the past.?This is about simply letting go?of grudges, mistakes, and things holding you back.?What must you move on from that keeps?distracting you, aggravating you,?or causing you to feel bad about yourself,?commit to being forward-focused.?

So focus on what matters?and take back your power with the POWER acronym.