Monday motivation: Using tunnel vision to take life one step at a time

“Take one step at a time
There’s no need to rush
It’s like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It’s gonna happen and it’s
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why…” – Jordin Sparks

Perhaps the most important thing in the journey of growth is how to stay consistent.

It can be hard to focus on one thing at a time; to cultivate the patience that is required to see a project through from beginning to finish.

Taking things one step at a time can be all that is standing between you and your success. But first, it is important to learn to focus and develop tunnel vision.

What is Tunnel Vision?

Tunnel vision is the ability to focus on a single priority while ignoring others. It is the ability to shift the gaze from other (sometimes) negative happenings and focus on the end goal.

For example, humans have an extraordinary ability to multitask. While speaking to someone, we listen to their voice, watch their facial and body movements and use all this information to form an opinion on the subject and then give an informed reply. But in a situation when there is a crisis, adrenaline forces us to only focus on one thing in order to get things done quickly and more efficiently.

This is what tunnel vision is to our mind – the ability to focus on more important things in the short-term. And just like we cannot stay in the state of adrenaline for a long time, so can we not sustain the tunnel vision for long periods of time.

While Tunnel vision is important for achieving goals, it is important to know your limits for it to be effective. Tunnel vision is extremely helpful for achieving our goals; it helps to focus on the most important things that need to be done immediately to achieve short term goals. Like everything, it is negative when sustained for long periods of time.

Think of it as climbing up a set of stairs. You cannot fix your gaze on the floor because you will not be able to see where you’re going, and will get tired very easily. On the other hand, you cannot only fix your gaze ahead of you as you will most likely stumble and fall.

Balance is important – shifting your gaze between the floor and your end goal. This way you know where you’re going, but you’re also aware of where you are, and can properly map your way to your destination. This is the formula to apply to life.

It is very easy to only focus on work and to ignore other important things like social interactions, family, and other things that can look like minor distractions in the moment.

So, tunnel vision is extremely helpful for achieving goals, but not in the long-term. It is important to drawback once in a while and look at the bigger picture. This can even help you move closer to our goals by showing you some tips that we did not notice before.

The importance of taking things one step at a time

I understand the impatience of wanting things done now. You want to start a new task now, complete it in a short time and then start bragging about completing the task, or start selling the service/product so that you can make money.

But it does not work that way. You cannot go to the gym today and expect to have ripped abs in a week. It is the same way you cannot start school now and expect to have gained all the knowledge in a week. You have to stay patient and take each class one after the other for months, maybe even years at a time until you have gained enough knowledge to graduate. Even then, you can never stop learning.

It is the same for any task you embark upon. You must learn the art of staying true, of taking one step at a time with the end goal in mind.

Taking things one step at a time is fulfilling. Watching a project grow from nothing into something you can be proud of is no doubt something to look forward to.

Doing little things everyday grows to something tangible at the end. It’s like saving money up in a bank. Saving up 500 Naira everyday for a year gives you 182,500 Naira.

There is a popular quote that says, “every little drop can become an ocean”. Doing five little tasks today will translate to a hundred things at the end of the month.

Make a list of the things you need to complete, set achievable goals, and do these things one step at a time. That’s how the Egyptians built the pyramids!

While doing your everyday tasks, it is also important to remember what your end goal is. Paint a visible picture of what you’re working towards so that on your off days, you can compare what you have to where you’re going. This will keep you inspired to continue on your journey.

Every day, you must make a choice to bring the passion, the dedication, the grind, the hunger, the discipline, the consistency, the perseverance, and the determination to live life on your terms and live it to the limits.

Six important tips for taking things one step at a time

1. Be aware of your journey

Where are you going? Map out a plan and outline an end goal. Make sure it is something physical, tangible, that you can turn to when you’re feeling blue and you don’t want to work on your goals anymore. Hang it up on your wall so that when you’re working, you can look up at it and know that you’re getting closer to your destination everyday.

2. Take action

When your plan is complete, immediately spring into action. Do not give yourself room for self doubt because your goals will die without having left the ground.

If you’re going to the gym, get your gym clothes and start immediately. If you want to start a business, do your research, map out a plan, and set about getting your plan off the ground. No one has a monopoly on an idea so its best to start as soon as possible.

You’ll also feel better seeing your dreams in the process of actualization. This drive will convert to other areas of your life, and keep you generally productive.

3. Be accountable

Make sure that you are accountable for your actions.

Set daily achievable goals for yourself. At the end of each day, place your goals and your results side by side and check if you have completed your goals for the day. Make sure that you complete all your goals for the day so your project does not start to lag behind.

4. Stay consistent

Work on your project everyday. Many writers work on their books everyday over the course of several months until it has reached completion.

When Khaled Hosseini was writing his popular book, The Kite Runner, he was working as a doctor. Nevertheless, he woke up at 4 am everyday, consistently, to write his book before a full day of seeing patients.

Stay consistent with your project, and you’ll begin to see results in no time. If you miss a day for any reason, don’t abandon your project thinking that its over. No. Continue your schedule in your normal way.

5. Don’t evade your problems

Challenges are a constant in life, in everything. Nothing good ever comes easy. You will face challenges during the course of executing your project.

What is important is not evading these problems. Face them head on and don’t stop until you solve your problems. If you continue to evade problems, they will collect into one huge insurmountable ball and it will become harder to tackle them.

6. Believe in yourself

If you somehow wake up one day thinking that you cannot continue, let your belief in yourself push you through the doubts.

You must learn to believe in yourself if you will finish your project. There will be days when you will ask yourself ridiculous questions, like ‘Can I really do this?’

Do not listen to the voice in your head during times like this. Look at the outline of your end goal, check what you have done so far and push through. Let your belief in yourself carry you through.

In conclusion…

Don’t measure your results by what you’ve achieved, measure your results by the things you’re doing towards achieving your end goal. Be proud of the little things you’re doing everyday.

When you look back at your footsteps in the sand, you will be surprised at how much ground you’ve covered.

Stay motivated!