eyes on the prize

English

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Noun

eyes on the prize pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic) Concentration on one's goal; mindfulness of the desired outcome.
   • 2004 October 28, Tony Karon, “Mideast Braces for Life After Arafat”, in Time, retrieved 21 January 2018:

     [Abbas's] tenure would be taken as an opportunity by various Young Turks to cement their own claims. Men such as Gaza security chieftain Mohammed Dahlan and his former West Bank counterpart Jibril Rajoub may have their eyes on the prize.

   • 2006 January 15, David Colman, “Three Cheers for the Same Old Thing”, in New York Times, retrieved 21 January 2018:

     We like to think of ourselves as walking face forward into the future, eyes on the prize.

   • 2015 May 4, “Athletes of the Week: Chris Navarro and Sydney Mills”, in Los Angeles Times, retrieved 21 January 2018:

     "It was an honor to watch the determination and focus as Sydney locked her eyes on the prize and shot a 5-under par 31," Cavaliers' coach Lee Smith said.

   • 2016 April 25, Sophy Ridge, “US election: Meet the savvy women vying to be Hillary Clinton's running mate”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 21 January 2018:

     Clinton must weigh up the excitement of a rule-breaking all-female ticket against the cold, hard political calculation of how best to win the presidential race. She's a realist who has her eyes on the prize, and winning the White House will likely trump all other considerations.

Derived terms

• keep one's eyes on the prize