Yin vs YangThe Battle for Success in Life

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

Every Monday is personal development through Jiu Jitsu…

Becoming focused on our goals is the best way to achieve them. We can learn about how to improve that focus from MMA fighters.

For a Mixed Martial Arts Fighter to be great, they must have incredible focus. Not just during the fight, but also in the months leading up to it. Focus is what a fighter gets better at as they gain more experience. The things that were once distractions, like the crowd, making weight, etc., seem to dissipate into thin air as they evolve into a better, more experienced fighter.

This is very noticeable by looking at the careers of some of the Ultimate Fighter Reality Show veterans such as Forrest Griffin, Diego Sanchez, Joe Stevenson, Keith Jardine, Kenny Florian, and others. Since that show went on the air, there have been many fighters that have got their jump to fame from starring in it. However, the ones that last are the ones that evolve, like Kenny Florian. If you look at his fights on the first season, compared to now, you can see the elevation of his focus. He gets better each time, as his focus improves with every fight.

Improving Your Focus

Improving your focus does not mean you try harder, nor does it mean before those fights, you were unfocused. It just means you were not focused on what you needed to be in order to be your best. Being focused is about learning to focus on what is important to focus on, if that made any sense.

It’s about experience, and learning from it. As a fighter, you can not focus your energy on the possibility of losing, or on what the crowd might think, or even on winning. You have to focus on the task at hand. That means you have to put yourself in the best possible state of mind to be able to handle any and all adversity that is thrown your way. Being focused is ultimately about being as prepared as you can be for whatever obstacles come your way.

Using a Fighter’s Focus in Real Life

In life, as always, the process is much the same. We may be focused on getting rich, paying our bills, becoming famous, or getting the best job. However, in truth, what we need to focus on is putting ourselves in the best possible frame of mind to achieve our goals. We need to focus on ourselves as a person, and what it takes to improve that person on a daily basis.

Don’t worry about the distractions, the naysayers, or even those that support you. All of it means nothing in the end. Sure it is nice to get some support, and we all hate the haters of the world, but neither of these polar opposites is going to get you where you are going. In truth, the world is a lonely place when it comes to success. Either you make it yourself, or you don’t, no matter the level of hate, or the level of support.

Think of it like a fighter. His corner is supporting him. The crowd may love or hate him. The other corner is completely against him. Yet, none of this really matters once the cage doors shut. It is at that moment, that we truly find out about the fighter’s focus.

The same goes for you trying to accomplish something. Every one has an opinion, comment, and/or advice for you when you are chasing a goal. Some of it helps, and some of it does not. However, it has nothing to do with your focus. If you are focused on your goal, like a fighter is focused on winning in the cage, then you will accomplish more than your fair share of success. It is just a matter of time.

So for you all, I have come up with….

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5 Ways to Sharpen Your Focus to the Level of a Cage Fighter and Reach Your Goals:

1. Identify the end goal. If this was a cage fight, your end goal is to do the best you can in the ring. The bonus is winning. The goal is to put yourself in a position to win.

2. Identify what YOU can do to help reach this goal. Only concentrate on what is in your control. If it is out of your control, then disregard it.

3. Set up a plan to attack this goal, and help you breakdown key milestones to reach. An example would be a fighter who wants to cut to a certain weight a week before the fight. The plan would be the diet. The milestone would be the weight.

4. Each day, ask yourself, what have you done to further yourself toward your goal. Every day, there should be an answer. Every day!

5. If reaching this goal is dependent on a big moment, similar to a fight, make sure you are focused on how to handle that moment. The way you accomplish that is by being as prepared as you can possibly be, while at the same time, being prepared for anything unexpected. This is done through relentless preparation, till you reach a point of such confidence, that no matter what, you can’t imagine not reaching your goal.

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