Ratchet Your Power of Focus

The Power behind a Ratchet Wrench is Enormous!

It’s not simply a speed tool, but one that has the power of leverage provided by a long handle. It can be used correctly, and still, have poor results. Because the power of the ratchet is in knowing how much power to apply for the results to be perfect!

Wait. Isn’t there a Fairy Tale about this? Sounds like Goldilocks and her dilemma of too hot, too cold, and just right! Too hard, too soft, and just right!

It takes the right amount of power to ensure that the results are locked as tight as needed to last. Or, in the language of tools… It takes the right amount of torque.

“Torque (tightening force) is critically important when working with any fasteners that will be subject to some kind of load.  The bolt (or nut) needs to be “preloaded” with the correct amount of force, so that it will neither break nor come loose and fall off. Automakers specify torque settings for just about all their fasteners, and a torque wrench is used to achieve the requirements.” www.tegger.com

There are special tools that can act as a ratchet but measures the amount of force applied to the bolt or nut. These measurements use terms like foot-pounds and Newton Meters. For application, someone has tested just how much power is needed to ensure the bolt (or nut) will hold.

Not everything has a measuring tool! Sometimes we only learn how much effort it takes by trial, error and lots of experience!

Here’s my thought today. Imagine all the forces at work on your daily life. Outside pressure. Inside pressure. Dilemmas. Choices. Struggles… Family. Job. Finances. Future. Past. It takes a lot of juggling to keep everything moving!

It is easy to get distracted by the thing that seemingly demands our complete focus. Is it the right thing to put our energies to, or should we shuffle it to the back burner and deal with it another day. Time will tell if you have learned how to make the right choices!

We’ve all struggled with this. Time and again what starts out as a small problem, or project, suddenly consumes our entire day and other important tasks must slip their schedule.

Think about like this.

Imagine your little toe. Such a small member of your body. But let it become injured in the middle of the night walking to the fridge, and all of a sudden that seemingly insignificant member becomes the driving focus of everything. Not just the moment it’s injured, but for hours! We agonize through the recovery, we make sure everyone knows about it, and we limp through the day with a focus that is fractured!

I wonder, how can a little problem consume our entire day? That little toe is a driving force, and we dwell on it too much. But it’s necessary! It hurts!

Perhaps we should focus on the little things, handle it before it becomes something bigger than life itself, like, wear house slippers in the middle of the night when headed for the fridge!

See. Thinking the potential of the little things in advance of a problem helps handle the issue from becoming the main focus. Little forces become Big forces. Little problems become Big problems. It’s often the littlest thing that can control the big things! And the day is lost because we did not consider the smallest thing!

Yes. There is a scriptural principle in this thought.

“Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us,
and we turn their whole body.
Look also at ships: although they are so large
and are driven by fierce winds,
they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.
The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body,
and sets on fire the course of nature;
and it is set on fire by hell.”
(James 3:3-6 NKJV)

The little things can take control of the big things.

Apply it in a little different path, it was Benjamin Franklin who said, “Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” and this is basically a re-quote from William Lowndes (1652-1724), a former Secretary to the Treasury of Great Britain, who said, “Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.” It’s ancient logic that is applicable today!

Watching the little things in life and managing them well, should help you have good results in the large things.

What are you needing to watch right now? Pennies? Seconds? Minutes? How about calories? Carbs? Protein? Distractions while driving? Last minute dashes to the stores for forgotten supplies? Forgetting to put gas in the tank? Uh oh! Garbage Day!

These problems are all little things that control our actions and reactions! Control your focus! Ratchet down your attention span to the important things of the moment. And that may be paying attention to the little things. The details. And learning from the experience for a better day tomorrow!

“Slay distractions…free yourself from interruptions!” ~Michael Hyatt

I think that if we ratchet down the seconds… we will end up with minutes. Minutes become hours, and hours can equal days, weeks and months!

Let’s ratchet our focus! Even if the little things are others around you flailing through their own crisis!

Audio Version: (Ratchet Your Power of Focus)