When You Focus on Everything, You Focus on Nothing

“WHEN YOU FOCUS ON EVERYTHING, YOU FOCUS ON NOTHING”

I can't, for the life of me remember who first said it. Bruce Lee,Arnold, Aristotle, Tiny Tim?
If you know, let me know.

Anyway, I was reminded of it lately by Aadam at Physgonomics.com

Aadam brought up a story in The Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance about a young college student who was required to write a 500 word essay. It could be on any subject she chose. She chose, as her subject, The United States.

A week later she had written nothing. Her professor told her to narrow her focus to a single state or even a small town. Still, she got nowhere.

Beginning to lose his patience, the professor told her to focus only on the front facade of the local historic opera house. Not only that, but she was told to focus only on the single brick in the upper left hand corner of  the opera house as a starting point!

A week later she turned in a 5000 word essay instead of the required 500 words.

By trying to focus on everything she was focusing on nothing. This is a perfect analogy for fitness goals.

It’s great that you’ve made the decision to improve you health, to get more exercise, to lose weight or whatever your goal may be. But you can’t do it all at once and it won’t happen overnight. It’s admirable that you have enthusiasm. But you need to focus that enthusiasm.

As Aadam puts it; You need to find your own “upper left-hand brick”.

Matts Rehnstrom (A business writer) points out that are two kinds of work to be done; Process and Project

Process work, the things that fit the overall goals need to be done to keep the job moving (think keeping the plant operating). If the process breaks down it’s unlikely that Projects will be completed either.

Getting fit is a process. Learn to love the process and the results will come.

Project goals are more specific.Generalization won’t cut it. You will fail!

"Lose Weight" is not a goal. It’s a wish. It doesn’t become a goal until you (1)specify how much and(2) by when and (3) exactly how you plan to do it.

"Get Healthier" is not a goal. It’s just a wish until you set parameters of how and when and have a plan to accomplish it. Wishes are useless. My dad used to say “Wish in one hand and pee in the other and see which one fills up fastest”.

I can go on with every goal you can name, fitness or otherwise.

And if you want to turn a wish into a goal it has to be realistic.

Find your upper left-hand brick and build from there. Pick your first goal (not wish) and build from there. (Hint: In fitness, it’s usually nutrition)