Anytime you make a firm decision to set a goal and begin taking the necessary steps to achieve it, a certain level of focus is required and often times, adjustments are needed. Although you may not always acknowledge the focus you take on, it is there. When you are determined to achieve a goal, that goal is constantly at the forefront of your mind, with a level of importance above just about anything else you have going on. That focus you have is what I equate to ‘wearing your blinders’, determined to keep all unnecessary distractions at bay until your goal has been met.
Going into a new year is primetime for wearing your blinders especially if you are one to make resolutions or decide to change some of your daily habits. It is a time to reflect and take notice of all the things that may have gotten you off course last year, how it happened and why you allowed such things to deter your focus. Once you make note of all the things that caused you to lose focus and gain a determination to keep it from happening again, this is a good time to start placing your blinders on, helping to take your eyes off the things that waste your time and get you off track. Learn to guard your eyes from the things that don’t matter. Guard your attention from wasteful activity. Guard your ears from the doubts of naysayers. Most importantly, guard your heart from anything that is not of God’s plans for you.
Put on your blinders to get the focus you need. Your blinders are a representation of your determined focus to look straight ahead, blocking distractions, saying no when necessary, disregarding your own doubts and fears that will arise from time to time. You have to be aware that these distractions will continue to come at you from every angle. They are nonstop and can be extremely tempting. They will always be there. If the awareness is there ahead of time already expecting such temptation to occur, you have a better chance of being saved by your blinders and will be wise enough to keep your eyes covered and protected from straying the wrong way. Instead of falling for the temptations of distractions, you will continue looking and moving ahead when you learn to wear blinders.
At some point, you must be willing to accept that it may be time for you to step away from some things and even some people if you are serious about making some changes in your life and reaching your greatest potentials. Such accomplishments are never going to happen if you never make the conscious decision to see them through. Be willing to accept that God is calling you to do some things with your life that are expected of no one else around you, just you. Believe it or not, it is true. Be willing to accept that it is time for you to step out on faith, not having all the answers, not even having everything you think you’ll need tomorrow. What you have right now is all you need right now. Allow your faith to cover the rest. Be willing to put on your blinders, blocking everything and everybody around you that stand to knock you off course. You’ve already been knocked off more times than you care to remember. At some point you and only you will have to be the one to change the course of your life. Will you put on those blinders today or will you keep allowing wasteful distractions to rule your life? Get focused, get believing, and get going. No one else will do it for you.
Happy new year to you!
Author Tawana R. Powell
