Focus



I know I get easily overwhelmed when trying to make changes in my life. Especially when it comes to fitness. It can take forever to sift through all the contradictory, self-serving, marketing-driven, financially motivated junk information out there. It takes time to process the information and see some good options rise to the top. I've found the only way for me to make progress is to focus on one thing at a time. Don't try to get up early, change your diet, exercise more, and adopt better habits all at the same time. Just focus on getting up early. Then once you feel you have that down, then move on to the next thing. Maybe focus on walking for 5 minutes consistently before thinking about walking 5 miles. Everyone is different so however long it takes to get something successfully implemented varies. If it takes 2 months for you to get out of bed earlier on a consistent basis, then that's what it takes. If someone else goes from walking a mile to running 5 miles in 1 month, then good for them. You do it at your pace and stay focused on your one thing. Just stay focused and try to always push yourself a little further than you think you can go and do a little more than you think you can do. Consistency overtime is what gets results. 

This principle applies to all areas of life. I think this is especially difficult for people when it comes to spiritual things. Sometimes we think God will just deliver us from our sinful ways and make us holy. Well, he did deliver us, but we still have to make a choice every day to walk in his ways. I have to focus on one choice at a time and decide to live my life to please the Lord rather than myself. It's not that we ignore other sins in our life while we work on one specific sin, but short of the Holy Spirit bringing more immediate deliverance, which he does at times, our brains have a hard time processing too much at one time. I've found that the Holy Spirit knows this. The best method if to focus on what He brings to your attention when he reminds you. Let him guide you and help you along the way. Keep practicing kindness when he reminds you and at some point, kindness will be second nature. Then the Holy Spirit moves on to help us tackle other issues. Learning and growth come through the process and the hard work.

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