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Apr 24

Be Perfect Today: Part XXV – Focus In The Fog

“Why is it so hard for so many to realize that winners are usually the ones who FOCUS all their mental and physical energies towards working longer, working harder, and working smarter, and as a result of such, usually do better?” David Patterson.

 

Baseball pitcher and batter2Have you ever noticed the stares between a pitcher and a batter during a game. Initially both are in their own zone. The pitcher does his thing by adjusting his cap, hitching his pants, and kicking the mound. The batter steps out of the batter’s box, spits, adjusts his cap, tugs on his belt buckle, looks down and digs in with his feet. And then something magical happens.

The pitcher leans in, ball in right hand, left hand with glove held behind his back, staring intently at the catcher, getting the sign of what pitch to deliver, but also deep in concentration of what the batter is doing…crowding the plate or standing back, leaning forward or back, hand position on the bat, weight shifted to the front foot or back…the pitcher is focusing in on any and all visual cues the batter is giving him. Sometimes because of such cues, the pitcher will shake off the catcher’s sign and ask for another.

The batter meanwhile, holds off the umpire’s signal to deliver the pitch until he’s ready. Once locked in, he intently studies the pitcher, part educated guess as to what pitch will be thrown, but also picking up any little nuances or tell-tale signs that could give away the pitch coming.  Fast ball, curve ball, slider…just about every pitcher has a ‘tell’ to give away what’s coming. Both pitcher and batter minimize visual cues that could tip off the opponent, but because of each other’s laser focus, sometimes even the slightest ‘tell’ can be picked up.

lion-focus1Focus is also found in the animal kingdom. The lion and tiger in hunt of their prey for example. Nothing is more exciting and terrifying to me than watching these animals stalk their prey. They scan the terrain, pick up all visual, auditory, and olfactory clues, and then begin their stalk. The closer they get to their prey, the more they lock in, moving so stealth-like that you would think they’re statues. They’ve tuned out all distracting noises and stimuli. Head jutted forward, eyes razor-sharp focused ahead, menacingly crouched low to the ground, and with each step, trapezius and shoulder blade musculature, along with hindquarters, so elegantly dancing and flowing as we see the sinewy rippling muscles move.

Tiger-stay focusedJust as the pitcher and the batter lock in, and just as the lion and tiger focus, so must you these last two weeks. The time is now to block out all distractions. The time is now to eliminate anything and everything that will inhibit you from achieving your two goals – your best look ever, and hopefully a class win.

Yes, you must live life. Work has to be accomplished. Families have to be taken care of. I understand that.

I also understand that you’re extremely foggy right now if you’ve been task-oriented to this point. You can’t think straight. You’re forgetful. Spacy. Ditzy. Groggy. Irritable. Moody. All of the things that put you in the ‘fog’. But you must focus. Focus for the next two weeks on the prize. The prize of striking out the batter. The prize of hitting the home run. The prize of catching the gazelle. The prize of achieving your ultimate look.

Without focus you will miss your mark. Without focus the prize will slip from your grasp, easily outdistancing you or sliding right by you. You must focus. There’s an old saying, “The bird chasing two rabbits will catch neither.” You cannot let yourself be distracted by outside influences. Stay locked in. Be Perfect Today.

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Doc

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