Can We Achieve The Focus of A Dog?

What is it about a Dog and his ball ?

Our dog, Copper, showed me something last night that made me really think about the word FOCUS.

At about 9 PM last night, my children began to panic as Copper was no where to be found. "When was the last time you saw him?" I asked - as I had been dutifully working upstairs. "I saw him run out in the backyard," my son Steven told me, "and he never came back."

I called his name out in the darkness - no response. Normally he will come running or at least let me know where he is. Nothing. No sounds. No response. My mind immediately went to the "dark side" of fear thinking, "Oh my gosh - he has been eaten by a wild animal." Yes - a wild animal that could scale our iron fence and make off with my 22 pound cockapoo. A wild anumal that lives in the midst of suburbia (although we do back to an open space with a creek, trees, and well - it could happen).

Well - anyway, the mind was leading me astray and I got a flashlight and headed to the back corner. I was sure I would find his little body - either passed out or injured, too weak to get up or respond to my calls.

No - a totally unexpected sight greeted me. There was my dog at the edge of our pool. He was frozen in one position. He was focused. He was not moving. He was not barking. He would not even turn his head. What was he looking at? His tennis ball that had somehow fallen in the water.

The ball had somehow ended up in the water and he would not leave without it (nevermind that he had 5 others inside - he wanted THIS one). I noticed then that the area around the pool was wet with his paw prints - and I deduced that he had actually been trying for some time to get his ball OUT of the water. But lacking long limbs and a tool to scoop the ball up - he was not successful. But he had tried - he had made the effort, and when that did not work, he did the only thing he could think of - stay focused and get someone to help him.

It made me pause. It made me laugh. It made me think. He remained fixated on his ball until I got my husband to get the pool scooper thing (don't ask me what the technical name is) and get the ball. Copper finally came to the house - wet paws and all - and happy because he got what he wanted. He stayed until he achieved his goal with the help of another - but the goal was achieved.

What if we had that type of single-minded focus of a dog in our work? That we would stick to it until we achieved what we wanted - worked for - and expected? I think too many times we get distracted or disbelief creeps in and we give up.

When we can channel our focus to a goal - and stick to it - that is when we succeed. Whether we eventually have to enlist the support of other people or other tools - staying focused until the goal is achieved is the key.

What is your tennis ball? Focus on it - and wait to achieve it.