Don’t get frustrated: get focused

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We were at the end of an hour of exercise at CrossFit. Jumping rope is not easy for me. Every time it comes around, I do the best I can. I believe the same thing happens to my fellow CrossFit friends. Our coach was paying attention to us and he said "don't get frustrated, get focused." 

Yes, we were getting frustrated with the rope. Frustration was a foe. It was not helping me to jump any better. I held on to those words. Don't get frustrated, get focused. 

We all get frustrated with something in life. Here are some practical ways to get focused:

• Identify the source of your frustration. Is it clutter? A particular skill you need to master such as rope climbing? How about the kid's room? Is there an area in your professional life you are frustrated with? How about your health? Identify the source of your frustration. Why?

Because frustration is there for a reason. So don’t dismiss or deny it but demand the lesson it came to teach you. I decided to go deeper and find out what are the accompanying feelings frustration brings. In my experience, the accompanying feeling of frustration is anger. Anger is the arch-enemy of focus.

I remember a season in life when I was frustrated a lot. While some areas of my life were okay, I lacked results in other areas because I just could not focus enough to live the life I wanted to live.

Ask yourself: what is the accompanying feeling frustration brings when it comes to me?

We’re all different. Identify how frustration works in your life. Some identify guilt and stop there. The reason to identify the feelings is so that you will learn and grow.

• Focus on how you will solve the problem. So let's say your problem is with clutter.  I found a system that I’ve used for almost 10 years. It works. My frustration with clutter is gone. In the same manner, I was frustrated with my weight. I’ve been using a system for the past 12 years and it works. My frustration with my weight is gone. Focus on the realistic, relevant steps you will use to solve the problem and go after it.

• Put it in your schedule. Adding things to our schedule is a sure way to get focused. Your schedule is meant to work for you. We are all familiar with the excuses we have not to get things done. One of them is kids. I’ve used this one too. Here is the problem: my kids are school-age so they are in school for quite a bit of the day. It is up to me to manage that time wisely. I am aware that some mothers and fathers homeschool. You too can manage your time wisely. I know some parents work outside of the home. Instead of using our limitations against us: let us remember that we have all we need to live the life God wants us to live. I am encouraging you and me to look at possibilities. Excuses will not get you results but focus, one step at a time will get you all the results you need. 

Next time you get frustrated, remember my coach's saying "don't get frustrated, get focused."