reFocus

Step into my shower on any given morning and you will find a minimum of three shampoo / conditioner combinations. I am a half-a-bottle shampoo/conditioner girl. Meaning, I buy a bottle of shampoo and/or conditioner, use half the bottle and then switch to another kind of shampoo /conditioner. Please gals, tell me I am not the only one.

But let’s face it….shampoo and conditioner builds up on my hair. By the time I am halfway through a bottle, my hair has developed a supernatural defense to the product and each hair has a space aged force-field keeping the products from working as good as they did when I first brought home the bottle.

It’s the truth! At least that is what I try to tell my husband as he tiptoes around bottles in our shower each morning. I was just having this conversation with the gal who recently cut my hair. We agreed that there should be a shampoo/conditioner swap…much like a cookie exchange…where women could gather together, each with their half used bottles of product, to swap out for someone else’s half used bottle….at least the bottle would get empty!

The fact of the matter is I am not a finisher. I am a starter. I start all kinds of things….projects, goals, resolutions, to-do’s, ideas…but my follow through leaves a lot of loose ends to trip over.

If I want to see something through to its completion, I have to make a concrete action plan. I have to make dated goals of when I want to get it done. Lists are my friend. I like crossing things off, so if I keep life in list format, it is more likely to get finished. The lack of seeing things through to its finality shows up in other areas of my life… not just in the shower. For instance, I hardly ever drink the very last sip in my cup, eat the last bite on my plate or eat the last of the cereal in the box. I must have a chronic fear of “the end” of anything and everything….any psychiatrists out there – please don’t submit your analysis…I am happy with my non-finishing lifestyle….mostly.

When it comes to things I really want to see come about, I hate my tendency to lose focus. But it happens…I lose focus, get distracted, loose motivation.

I think we all have that time in our lives when we have lost sight of something we wanted or needed. Whether it be losing weight, committing to spending some quiet time with God each day, having family meals, starting a business, etc. we need to reevaluate or refocus on the action steps that will take us to where we want to be…the end.

In the Bible, Jesus had to keep the disciples focused on the mission. It was common for the disciples to get worked up over something petty or miniscule. Jesus was quick to refocus their energies on the Kingdom and the agenda of pointing people to the Father.

Paul encouraged believers to persevere. To run the race …. whole-heartedly. He reminds the reader in Philippians that all runners start the race with a goal in mind…to win the prize.  You might be in the middle of a race….maybe you’ve take an extended water break. Either way, it’s time to refocus, regroup and regain the momentum of chasing down the prize.

Not finishing is not an option. Giving up is exactly what the devil wants us to do….distractions are his favorite tool. The ideas, dreams and goals that are pressed on your heart are too important to let die out.  In the words of Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid….”Your focus needs more focus.”