How to maintain FOCUS when the euphoria is burnt out

December: we are all excited about the year that is fading right before our eyes and we get ourselves ready for the new year. Like the morning sun, the new year brings new hope to many lives and for others, it’s a chance for a fresh beginning. Plans are laid out, goals are set, and past failures are lost in that craze and euphoria. All there is is the future — the new year that awaits. I have also been in that situation many times in my adult life. I love it because of the Euphoria it creates in me and in my friends. But how do we stick to our laid out plans and set goals when the Euphoria has been worn out by the time that does not only feast on its own acceleration but also on our hopes and dreams. How do we keep the energy alive when we face challenges and setbacks so big we wish we were not alive?

This is the most challenging aspect of our lives. Many people deal with it differently and most people simply give up and wait for the next year. How can we be thinking of the next year when we are in February? We have to learn, evolve in thoughts and actions and keep moving. Entrepreneurs do this all the time in their daily work lives. What then can we learn from the entrepreneur’s spirit? What gives them the ability to deal with risk, uncertainty, and failure like pros. Surely there is something to learn from either their character or actions. What follows are 5 lessons I have learned from the entrepreneurs I have studied which I think apply to every human being with goals and plans like you of course.

1. Stay positive

“Love yourself. It is important to stay positive because beauty comes from the inside out” — Jenn Proske (Canadian-American Actress)

Staying positive in the face risk, uncertainty and failure is hard and it is even harder when that positivity is derived from the euphoria which I spoke about above. One thing that entrepreneurs do to deal with setbacks and challenges is to derive positivity from within. This means loving yourself which is essentially being aware of your own self; your feelings, thoughts, and state of mind. Self-awareness gives you power over yourself, your weaknesses, and over external circumstances. On the flipside, the balance on what you are positive about and reality should be maintained, you don’t want to be over positive.

2. Embrace failure

“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure” — Napoleon Hill (Author of Think and Grow Rich)

Embracing failure does not mean settling for mediocre standards or compromising on excellence, it only means that you are ready to learn. Failure does not mean that you are not good but it only means that there are things you need to change either within yourself or around you and that change comes when we are ready to learn from failure. Recently, I watched videos of Elon Musk talking about the couple of times he failed to launch a rocket with SpaceX and until they were on their last resources and with that final attempt they succeeded. Sometimes it takes failure to succeed if your goal is “too big”.

3. Have a team

“Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved” — Mattie Stepanek (American poet)

In my short life, I am yet to see an entrepreneur who went solo and succeeded big time. Flag me if you know one. The idea is the simple, you cannot do it alone — never. Even with your personal goals, you need a team to accomplish them. This team might include your friends, spouse, siblings or parents etc. but you don’t want to lose control of your goals — be the leader all the time.

4. Celebrate small wins

“Look for small victories and build on that. Each small victory, even if it is just getting up five minutes earlier, gives you confidence. You realize that these little victories make you feel great, and you keep going. You realize that being paralyzed by fear of failure is worse than failure.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger (American Actor)

I have to thank the Baobab team at Arizona State University for this one. It is easy to ignore the small wins and wait for the big win which might never come. To me, the small wins are like a ladder and every small win is a single step on that ladder. Ignoring small wins is not good for you and your team. You need to keep the euphoria and the energy to achieve your goals and your small wins will do that for you. Entrepreneurs know this well even though what get into the tabloids are those big wins. Don’t let the tabloids fool you, celebrate small wins. There is nothing like overnight success.

5. Take care of yourself

“The most important investment you can make is in yourself.” — Warren Buffet (American Billionaire)

Taking care of yourself goes beyond eating healthy, exercising regularly or maintaining healthy relationships. Taking care of yourself is ultimately investing in yourself and understanding that you are your own best investment. These means reading more books from diverse genres and being interested in your personal growth and development. It has been said that leaders are readers but lately, I have also learned that entrepreneurs are readers too. Reading will keep you focused and will give your ideas on how to execute your goals. Personally, I am always inspired by reading any material.

Conclusion

There you have it, 5 lessons that you can apply keep yourself focused on your goals or new year resolutions. We are 10 months away from the end of the year and you don’t want to lose focus this early or this year will be a waste of precious time for you. Stay focused and keep hitting those goals.