Focus is defined by Webster’s dictionary as the concentration of attention or energy on something. This is the time of year when we have written down our resolutions and visions for the future (or at least heard that lots of people write their resolutions). In the past I spent lots of time either looking at the past or planning the future. A lot of that time, especially when I was younger, was focused on what wasn’t working, what didn’t happen or what negative things occurred. I admit I wasn’t one of those people who had laser-like focus on goals of achieving or succeeding. In fact, in review, I had laser-like focus on the exact opposite of goals and success. My focus was on how sad my life was and how I wouldn’t amount to much, yet at the same time feeling that there had to be something better than my current condition . . . then I blamed the world, became angry and the cycle continued.

Thankfully I grew up, was willing to break the cycle and willing to change. As I studied, learned and experienced I found that I needed to change my thoughts and my beliefs about me and create dreams for myself to go after. That required concentration of attention and concentration of energy, in other words—focus.

The goals I focused on changed over the years. Different stages brought different goals to focus on in my life:

Stage 1 - Getting out of the Bronx and changing my life

Stage 2 - Getting a degree and succeeding in corporate America

Stage 3 - Having a great marriage and raising two successful children

Stage 4 - Motivating leaders and empowering millions of people to be leaders in over 40 countries around the world with laughter and gusto while having a great marriage!

Everyone has stages in their lives where they are focused on one thing or the other. However, the quality of your life changes dramatically when you focus on greatly increasing the quality and abundance in your life. When you focus on making your life better your life becomes better. If you focus on the drama and what isn’t working, you will continue to get drama and negativity.

This increases in power when you focus on how today’s actions lead to a dramatic increase in the quality and abundance of your life.

For instance, I can easily begin to find fault with things my husband does (I never said I was perfect). I have caught myself critiquing this or that task performed. Does that help me or him? No. Does it make his or my life better? No. Does it really matter how he did whatever I’m picking on? No. In truth, it would drive me away if someone critiqued me about little unimportant tasks I did. When I recognize that I am doing this I have to refocus on my larger goal “to have a great marriage.” The daily actions I take include apologizing for my nitpicking, appreciating the tasks he does and acknowledging the little things he does, without being asked, that makes a difference in our life (including taking out the trash). When I do that, life gives me incredible riches including an increased quality of life, we laugh and are relaxed and loving. People like being with us and doing business with us.

This newsletter is about you. How can you increase the quality and abundance in your life, work and family today and tomorrow?

Only you can decide how you want your life to be. Only you can choose what you want in your life. I’ve said this before—not choosing is choosing.

• Decide what you want
• Focus with laser-like intensity on what you want
• Notice what you have
• Acknowledge and be grateful for what you have and had, even the negative stuff. You changed and became a better person because of it
• Each day do what you can, knowing that everything is leading to what you want (Kick Butt Actions below shares how)
• Take time daily to really imagine what you want. See it, feel it, know it
• Live like you are already there. Walk, speak, smile and love knowing that you already have it