One thing that I’ve learned over the past year is that accomplishment really depends upon your level of focus. For some time I have been trying to satisfy the demand of multiple goals and expectations that I have set upon myself.

Without completely realizing, I have only been putting forth only about 20% focus on writing, 25% effort on reading, and 50% focus on school.  This is just a guesstimate, depending upon the day and how I feel, these numbers can fluctuate and differ. As a result, what I’ve come to realize is that when you don’t completely focus on one area of your life or you start to neglect certain facets, it can seat you in a stationary state. As a result your potential to create and successfully maneuver to your desired place can be inhibited.

The importance that I’m trying to emphasize is that it is important to set goals for yourself and do as much as you think you’re capable of.  At the same time, it is very important to keep a balance. Starving yourself to the bone, or surviving off Pop-Tarts for a week, might help you get ahead with a massive amount of studying. But it probably won’t keep the conversations between your stomach and your esophagus at a standstill for very long. Or anyone who renders themselves blind by staring at computer screens for fourteen hours and twenty-two minutes a day, may be intellectual, but lack muscular definition.

What I’m getting at, is that what ever your motivations and focus is, you need to dive in deep and fully but do it carefully and with awareness.

A lot of people have dreams that appear unrealistic at the surface but can be fulfilled through proper guidance. Don’t let reality scare you off. If you take the proper steps and apply effort in the right directions anything can be accomplished.

In order to get closer to goals or dreams you have to be willing to take some risk. A lot of times, the risk may not always pay off with a reward,  so don’t be intimidated by failure. The deeper you dive, the more confidence you will have to build up in order to build yourself back up, especially to become even greater than you were beforehand.

The biggest enemy anyone has to conquer is fear. The biggest factor that affects decision-making is the fear of trying for the sake of failure. So go all in. Do what you like and reach for greater possibilities. Stretch your boundaries and do things to the best of your ability. As this Norman Vincent Peale quote states, “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

Are you going to live the jet-life, traveling around the world? Will you be visiting old architectural sites, spending your lunches sipping on margaritas? If that’s your goal, well start figuring out a way that you can make enough income to support your travel costs or better yet, try to develop a passive income of some sort. Are you going to have one job for your career or will you jump to other careers for the sake of curiosity and potential? Write out the jobs that you can’t stop thinking about. Have you visited with any professionals, now is the time to start! Get out in the world and let people know that you are interested and willing to learn. Are you going to climb up the business ladder, of an exciting new start-up near you? What companies near your current location need help or are creating new branches? Start asking questions and find a way to answer these questions.

Are you already working for a company or are you still in the search for a job? You need to take directions in the pathway that you want to select. That’s how things get done, and that’s how the ball gets rolling 9.8 times out of 11.

Do you want to change the world by working for yourself, or by working under someone else?

Are you looking for ways to simply get paid, or are you willing to take the time and search out what you love to do? Once you feel you’ve made strides in the right direction, formulate a way to get paid for it!

Keep a balance and put your best work forth. If you place a little effort here and a little effort there, at times it’s needed. From a far when you do multiple tasks, it may not seem like you’re doing much, but if you know that you’re making strides everyday to become better, stronger, and faster at accomplishing goals then time will spell things out clearly. It’s called soul searching or discovering new pathways.

In order to find out which path best fits your persona you have to go all in and test different boundaries. Sometimes you have to break rules, cause some eyebrow raising or make others think deep, but eventually if you spend your time in the right areas you’ll discover your truest potential.

When you fully submit yourself towards any road ahead, you develop a  specific mindset.

A mind set upon reaching a planned destination is one that can conquer all obstacles even when staring in the eyes of defeat. Part of the beauty of writing or visualization, is that planning is something that can be applied. You can write out exactly how everything will fit snugly into your life, and how you can see it all happening if life works out fluidly. If you’re not that type and you prefer to go with whatever opportunities shape in your direction, well that can work too. Just remember, if things don’t work out, you can see where you made your mistakes.

LEARN, LEARN, LEARN!

If you apply what you learn, you won’t make the same mistakes twice.

Everyone has to take time to reflect and figure out their greatest strengths and learn how their personal dynamics can be applied. Everyone has separate skill sets, but once you discover those skills, apply them to the real-world, and do it with your whole heart. Remember that you control your own destiny, and what you produce comes down to the quality of your inner drive!