Is it Possible To Be Too Focused?

There is a story about an interview that was done with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Both gents were asked the same questions...."what is the single most thing important thing for success"?

They both answered with precisely the same word ..."Focus!".

I always feasted on that thought....as it one thousand percent was in alignment with my own mode of operation. 

When I became a "written goal setter" I noticed there was more spring in my step....and a more pointed look in my eyes. I knew where I was going....and whenever I was unsure...I would simply dig out my goal list from my purse or phone and recite my written goals.... Instantly I would feel my peace restore itself and I could walk confidently.

Knowing where you are going is refreshing. How else will you know you've arrived if you don't have a destination?

But, now for the sake of a good argument, let's assume, that it isn't always a good thing to be hyper focused on one's goals. Could it be that when humans are too focused...that they forget the simple pleasures.....like riding a bike or singing a song in the car ride to work? Can it be that goal setting transforms us from people who dance .....into people who simply march like soldiers towards a goal?

Is it good to march through life? Or is it better to dance?

 I am simply stirring the pot. It's good to take both sides of an argument to help assess the pros and cons of both sides of an equation.

One might also suggest that being too "goal oriented" can be challenging in a marital and family setting. If one or both parents are very focused on goals outside the home...will they still have enough time and energy for their spouse and children? Or does the spousal time and children time need to be written into their written list of goals? These are good things to consider.

Being uber-focused is definitely a powerful tool to accomplish virtually anything in life. But let's not forget to enjoy and appreciate those unwritten aspects of human life which don't make it onto your list.

Let's not forget to smell the roses....and appreciate the scent of the grass after a morning rainfall.

Let's not forget to commune with our Creator...the one who understands us and wants to help craft our written goals. Let's not walk alone.

Peace,

Carla.

 

Tweet

My Argument with Extreme Bulk Buyers

Today is my story of my argument with extreme bulk buyers. By extreme....I mean the ladies who insist on shopping only in large quantities even when they are trying to stick to a budget.

And so today I brought an example. See to your left the lovely photo of a box of garbage bags I purchased this week at Dollar Tree in Ontario, Canada. If my memory serves correctly, I paid precisely $1.50 Canadian funds plus 13% tax for this box of 5 garbage bags.

Now, my extreme bulk buying friends are already pooo-pooing my choice...because they  say ¨ Why on earth would you pay good money for only 5 bags....when I shop I buy big boxes of garbage bags with at least 40 bags in a box!¨

But my comment to them is this ...Why on earth, if I am trying to stick to a predetermined grocery budget, allow such a large portion of my expenditure for the week to be allocated to the purchase of garbage bags.

I know, I know....people like to stock up.. People dont like to run out of things, and they really dont like shopping as often as I do. 

But, I must assert, that if you have a certain dollar figure that you try to stick to with your grocery shopping, then you need to discipline yourself not to splurge on a certain category, just because it happens to be a good deal. Do you understand what I am trying to say? 

Sometimes I see extreme bulk buyers go and spend 100$ on bathroom tissue because there is a good sale on....but they dont buy enough food for their children to make it to their next grocery shopping trip. Does that make sense? Is  it really a good deal if it leaves someone without the calories they need to function well during the week?

The painful part of disciplined shopping means being willing to pass up great deals, in order to stick to your preplanned budget. It may not feel like you are winning to buy a small box of garbage bags at your local Dollar store.....but you will most certainly feel a great sense of accomplishment when you realize that you can actually stick to the list you wrote to yourself and stick to the budget that you and your spouse or family members have agreed to. 

I can hear some of you saying....well, if you were rich, you wouldnt need to budget your grocery shopping. And to that I would tell you a little story about the great Mr. Warren Buffett...who is still one of the richest men in the world. I have watched ( several times over) the HBO special biographical film of Mr. Warren Buffett in which we, the viewers, are permitted a small peak into Mr. Buffettś daily habits.

One part of the film, shows Mr. Buffett with a handful of change his wife gave to him before he left the house, to spend on a preplanned breakfast sandwich from McDonalds on his way driving to the office. He knew exactly how much the breakfast sandwich cost and his wife gave him exactly that amount to pay for it. How wonderful! How disciplined and modest he is! 

If even, one of the richest men in the world, sees fit to preplan his modest  drive-thru breakfast meal, then certainly it is adviseable for us also to consider such a habit.

What is this habit? Simply the habit of planning what you are going to spend each day or week based on your income and outgoing expenses and savings and investing plans, and charitable giving.

Planning is good. 

Sometimes folks who are recovering shopaholics get their shopping fix by overspending on sale items in bulk purchases. They presume that they will not feel guilty for overspending because they got such a good deal! They soon figure out that they still feel guilty, because they have spent more than they planned to spend.

Well, thatś all for now. I apologize for the lack of ¨ apostropheś as this keyboard is hiding them from me as I type today :) Ha....lol!

Well friends, have a great day....and plan to succeed.

Peace,

Carla.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Full Movie)

The story of Mother Theresa is awe inspiring. No matter your religious convictions, you will be touched by her story. Enjoy...