If you’re racing toward a curve and you focus on the wall you don’t want to hit–you’ll probably hit it.

Race car drivers like Scott Dixon and Jimmie Johnson know that whether it’s a wall or a wreck in front of you, your focus needs to be on where you want to go, not the obstacle.

This idea has been on my mind lately as the news focuses on America’s political circus. One thing people tend to forget about politics is that you can’t have a show without an audience. The discord becomes a spectacle because people are focused on the drama, rather than on facts and forward movement.

Informed citizens, on the other hand, take the view that they play a part in how the country will shape up, and they know that if they pay attention and contribute wisely, they’ll have a positive impact. They’re looking at where they want to go–not at the “wrecked” political system.

My purpose here, however, is not to give you political advice. It’s to show you that while external events beyond our control–like political crises or accidents on the racetrack–do throw roadblocks in our way, the people who continue to have successes are the ones who focus on where they want to go and how they can get there, not on the mess right in front of them.

I hear struggling advisors focused on their walls every day:

“Recruiting for new salespeople is impossible.”
“No one is buying [my kind of service] right now.”

When you focus on where you want to go instead of the wall, what you say sounds more like this:

“I’m speaking to more and more people and strengthening my recruiting skills.”
“I’m finding ways to add value so that people buy [my kind of service].”

Don’t hit the wall or become part of whatever wreck is on the road in front of you. Focus on where you want to go, and you’ll have a lot better chance of getting there.

So keep your eyes open and your steering sharp, and