rich minds, rich rewards

Time to Shift Your Attention

By Valorie Burton
Author and Motivational Speaker

CBNMoney.com – What little habit or temptation have you found it hard to get control of? This week, I want to challenge you to master a skill that is essential for developing discipline – whether in your relationships, at work, in your finances, in your spiritual life, or when it comes to eating and exercise. It is the skill of managing your attention.

As I write this, I’m on the train returning from New York to D.C. Every time I go to New York on the train, I pass by a Krispy Kreme shop at the train station, and almost unconsciously, my steps become slower, my mouth waters, and I engage in an internal debate about whether to buy some donuts (buying just one seems almost cruel). Today, though, my steps didn’t slow down and I didn’t reach for my purse. Instead, I turned my attention to finding a tasty and healthy snack to eat before getting on the train. I grabbed a banana, a Granny Smith apple, and a bottle of juice – and believe it or not, they were quite good!

So much of your life experience is what you choose to give your attention to. If you spend your attention focused on what you don’t want, it’s likely that’s exactly what you’ll get. And if you spend your attention focused on what you want most, over time, you will manifest those results.

In my case, I decided I wanted to eat healthily, so I shifted my attention from the temptation to finding something healthy. With the exception of a quick glance, I didn’t pay the donuts any attention. Changing habits is a combination of taking attention away from what you don’t want, and then clarifying and committing attention to what you do want. What do you need to stop paying so much attention to? And what do you need to start paying more attention to?

Consider how these three pieces of advice apply to your life:

1. Remember that attention is a valuable asset.
The term “pay” attention can be taken literally. Like money, what you sow your attention into will reap results. When you focus on problems, you tend to feel burdened with problems. When you focus on solutions and opportunities, despite the problems that exist, you feel lighter and more hopeful. In what way could you focus more on the solution than the problem?

2. Notice what you give your attention to.
Be intentional. You may not control the people, thoughts, and events that come to your attention, but you can choose what you will focus on.

3. Give yourself a new focus.
If you're trying to change a habit, don't just declare that you will stop the habit. Get clear about what you want to do instead. Is it a focus on health? A more peaceful relationsnhip? An important project? Have a vision that you can focus your attention on regularly. That way, when temptation strikes, you already know what you're aiming for.

My challenge to you this week:

When you notice yourself losing your focus, refocus your attention on what you want to create rather than dwelling on what you don’t want.

Journaling assignment:

What needs your attention? What’s your new focus? How have you used your attention negatively? How would you like to change that? What could you try this week that would get you started?

A sought-after life coach and speaker, Valorie Burton seeks to inspire people to live more fulfilling, less stressful lives. She is the author of Listen to Your Life, What’s Really Holding You Back?, Rich Minds, Rich Rewards, and her latest, Why Not You? 28 Days to Authentic Confidence.