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This week we are talking about success without focus and what happens when we are too focused on our goals. Unconventional wisdom says that most objectives are pursued indirectly or tangentially. This all comes back to what occurs when we attempt to bulldoze our way towards our results and what we are attempting to accomplish. In juggling, they will say “focus on the throw, not the catch.” What is really true here is that we are able to give our attention to what is occurring in the moment and not thinking about the future, which can distract us from paying attention to what is here now. But does it make sense to not stay focused on the outcomes of our goal?

The Buddha said that we should focus on taking the right action in the moment and not focusing on the “cherished outcome.” This is all about putting our focus on wholeness and what is emerging in the moment to allow for the guidance of our actions. So, if you think about it, the best way to achieve our goals is really to pay attention to what is occurring in the moment and how we can create through and with one another. So here are some things that we know from consulting groups that have looked at businesses know that companies that take the long view have better reputations and keep the best employees around. The truth is, going after short term results doesn’t work for organizations…or the people that work in them. And, we can really extrapolate this same effect within organizations to our individual existence and how we look at our goals too. So, focusing only on the goal and not our actions for sustainable results doesn’t allow us to become our best selves either.

But what do you think? How focused do we need to be on creating our outcomes to be truly successful?