As we prepare to conclude one of the craziest years we have ever seen, now is the time to get focused and positioned to take flight in 2021. Mind you, I still believe there is time in 2020 to do some amazing things, but some of our long-term goals may take more than a week or two. With that being said, we are about to embark on a new year. I am a firm believer that the visions (ideas and dreams) you had in 2020 that may not have been fulfilled or accomplished, will be presented with fresh, new opportunities in 2021.
In order to be effective, you will have to learn how to block out distractions. One of the biggest distractions will be the opinions of others. A colleague and I heard an exchange on social media, where naysayers were speaking against his vision concerning a product that he designed. He obviously responded, thinking that he was protecting the integrity of his product. However, I pointed out to him that he was merely wasting his time. The time that you spend arguing with people concerning your vision, your dreams, your products, etc., is time that you could spend investing into the things that you are attempting to build.
Understand this, you should never have to convince anyone to believe in you. In fact, if you find yourself overly involved in convincing people to believe in what you are doing, chances are you are surrounded with the wrong people anyway. At some point you will have to learn to trust God to send you the support team that you need, and in the meantime, do not be afraid to stand alone. As a jazz fan, years ago I came to appreciate Miles Davis, his artistry, and his legendary approach to music. There is an old story that details him on stage in front of a hostile crowd. I was not there, but from multiple eye-witness accounts, the crowd was extremely hostile towards Miles, because of his race and his skin tone. He had a job to do, and if he did not perform that job, he would not be paid. Miles did not allow the crowd to separate him from his paycheck, so much so that he turned his back to the crowd and played his complete set facing the wall. There is a true lesson to be learned here.
Sometimes you have to turn your back to the crowd, block your ears from their banter, and learn not to respond. There is an old saying, “only a foolish dog will chase parked cars.” Those that are consistently critical of the endeavors of others usually have one thing in common, they have too much time on their hands. Most of these people are not chasing or building anything. So, they have nothing but time to criticize those who are. When you see them from that perspective, you will realize just how much time you waste arguing and trying to convince them to believe in what you are doing.
Stay focused!
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