Let go of Distraction. Disruption. Disconnection.
What if you could get more done in a day than most people get done in a week and still find time to relish in the subtleties of life you forgot you enjoyed so much?
You’d be an unstoppable version of you.
When you don’t harness and concentrate your power to manifest, create, and take action towards your goals (whatever they may be) – you risk letting life and the beautiful pallet of opportunity it brings go to waste.
You Fail to focus…Fail to follow through…Fail to find your power. And for what?
Losing yourself in social media, multitasking while you converse with your loved ones, you’re never really fully present, and you watch the years go by without accomplishing your dreams.
You’re not sure exactly what you need to change and there is just so much to do that you could never slow down enough to really focus and start from here.
So you keep on keeping on…and you dream about that life you could be living, instead of living it.
Feeling ready to make a change?
My solution: keep it simple, very very simple.
Let’s explore the basics of doing the ‘biggest thing’ now and cultivating transformational focus by harnessing these simple acts of kindness towards self in creating crazy-awesome focus.
1. Ask yourself: What’s the biggest thing right now?
Be honest with yourself about the key action steps that truly have the potential to change your trajectory. Note that it is best to do this exercise when things are relatively settled, like first thing in the morning or in the evening. There will always be fires to put out, balls you drop, and the wholly unexpected may arrive at any minute. But here, we want to sort out those rocks in your backpack that are keeping you from meeting your potential. Some of these will be big and heavy and some will be small and easy to remove. Note both.
I often start with a big list of ‘biggest things’ and then I sort through them or categorize each into an area of my life – this helps regain perspective and gives me a chance to check-in with each stressor, one at a time, without having to hold them all in my mind at once. I go through the list one item at a time and usually what seems to be weighing on me the most reveals itself naturally. I sometimes notice my tendency to get lost in past or future thought or a desire to move away and stop focusing on finding the ‘biggest thing’ comes up suddenly…sometimes I even become angry or impatient – just because of the thought patterns that arise looking at the more dense heavy or significant rocks. I often start there and begin step 2, break it down (read more below).
Other questions to help get you thinking about what ‘the biggest thing’ really is:
- What is causing your biggest anxieties or worry?
- What would lift the most weight off your back if you were to accomplish getting it done or at least starting the process?
- What have you been avoiding?
Pick your top 2-3 most critical tasks that will help reduce the stress of the biggest 1,2, or 3 things. Each day and tackle your actions/tasks one step at a time. Do each task all the way to completion, 100% complete – so you can check that box and move on to the next step anytime you are ready. If you can’t complete a task in one day, then write out the steps needed to complete the task (for a future date) and, even better, schedule it!
2. Break it down.
Step by step directions that directly lead you to your goal are the key.
Don’t get lost in getting lost. Find your focus by breaking it down into bite-sized chunks, chunks you can actually chew. If something feels hard to get done, try breaking up the task into multiple smaller tasks or intentions that you know you can follow through with.
For example, if your grandmother is ill and you are feeling like one of your relevant items on the ‘biggest thing’ list is that you don’t feel very connected to her at this time in your life and you want to change that before it’s literally too late…you write a task to call her once a week and just say hi. You could also plan a time to visit and write on your list: (1) call grandma and decide on a good time to visit, (2) mark the calendar with the agreed visit time, and (3) plan accordingly (block time off your schedule at work, let other members of your family know your plans, etc…)
Another Example, if you are looking for a new job and feel eager to keep this process moving forward…actions steps might be something like (1) update resume (2) update CV (3) create profile on favorite job search engine optimized with my current employment preferences (4) review notifications from search engine daily (5) respond timely to any interesting positions.
Some tasks need to be broken down into parts that are more linear and one action step follows another, others will require building momentum and discipline and may show up on your list again and again.
I never plan a task that will take more than 60 min without breaking it down. I feel more accomplished and energetic when I can see tangible parts that come together to manifest the whole. Plus, it’s fun crossing things off my list that are complete – maybe this is not exactly fun for everyone – but for me this works really well. I find checking items off of my ‘list’ motivating and rewarding in surprising ways that keep me going even when I’m tired.
If you find that you are addicted to wasting time, avoiding the present moment, turning away from what matters most, and missing out on the opportunities sitting right in front of you ?
– find your feet in the chaos of modern living, get a grip, get focused –
3. Focus First.
For me, if I don’t get it done before 10-11am it just doesn’t happen!
So, I start my work early in the day. There was a time when my first son was an infant that I worked from 3:00am-7:30am and those were my best hours. Consider evaluating when you will be most likely to be successful at setting down to focus and get things done that you know you struggle to fit in now.
What are your best hours for this practice? Schedule these hours just like any other work hours and set yourself up for success by not compromising them for anything short of an actual fire!
I do the things that will make my day successful – first thing in the morning. These are my golden hours. No matter what else comes up and regardless of the fires I may need to put out, I already made it a great day (often before breakfast!).
I do not start at 3:00am right now, that was how I adapted my hours when I had to be more creative about finding space for working on my business. Do what works (for you)! Adapt if it stops working (again and again and again)!! Be playful in your discovery of the changing needs in your life (It’s not all so serious)!!!
4. Do One Thing & Only One Thing.
No distractions, no interruptions, a simple singular focus is best.
You must resist the incessant urge to multitask!!! It’s not more efficient and can lead to increased stress and lower productivity – Fact.
Stay on track by focusing on one action step at a time. If you find yourself getting stuck, simply move on to something else. My rule is: if I’m working on something and getting nowhere for more than 5 minutes, I stop and reassess how I’m spending my time, break down the task into smaller parts, or move on to the next thing and come back to this step later (when possible).
If you feel unsure of how you could be spending your time more efficiently, make sure you are visiting your list and focusing on the most important tasks that also feel attainable. Sometimes I start with the task I’m looking least forward to and sometimes I choose the easiest and most simple task to complete, depends on my mood really. If you are getting lost in getting lost, reclaim your focus and choose the ONE THING you are going to do now. Once done with that ONE THING, decide on the next ONE THING, resist with all your might carrying more than one action step forward at a time…it really is the only way to avoid walking in circles with two left feet.
5. Record, Report, & Track Your Success!
Things that we place our attention on tend to grow, this is where manifestation takes on a life of its own. There is no going wrong here, you results are just your results. As long as you face yourself and your accountability to your goals, you can always adapt to improve your performance in staying clear and concentrating your power to gain control and get where you want to go from here.
Find a buddy or a friend you can share your progress with, and share regularly. Be kind to yourself and simply be willing to show up…the good, bad, even the ugly – but especially the awesome. There is always something to celebrate; make sure you are gentle with yourself and practice self-love through this process. Your success is practically guaranteed as long as you keep on showing up – you really can’t go wrong.
So What’s really stopping you from living the life you want?
What keeps you from accomplishing your dreams? Are you making every day a great day, just for the sake of being alive, simply because you can? Or are you lost, wandering adrift, and never quite sure where you are going or how to get where you want to go?
All of this focusing sounds very nice and all but you really don’t see yourself, you know, getting there? You admit it sounds like a great idea but you really aren’t sure what to do next.
Ask for help!
Dr Jen offers a Mindset Matters Module complete with Autogenic Training and tools for goal setting with accountability built-in to help you discover the potential and power to release stagnation and get you into gear.
Call or text 978-226-3787 and leave your name and a phone number or email to book a Discovery Call to learn more about this 4-week program, determine if you are a good fit for the module, and book your first appointment.
Enrolling now for June 2019.