Can you believe we are 2/3 of the way through 2020 already?
Yikes! It’s been a year unlike any other I’ve experienced, that’s for sure!
Today, I want to share a tool with you that’s centered around one of my favorite topics—FOCUS.
If there’s ever been a need to keep ourselves free from unnecessary distractions, it’s now. With so much out there bombarding us and threatening to rob us of our peace of mind, being able to determine what’s important and then follow through is a huge key to staying centered and at peace.
I’ve been using this tool personally and with my coaching clients and seeing great results so thought I’d share it with you as well.
Here’s how it works:
- Grab some paper and a pen and set aside 10-20 minutes for this exercise.
- Put your phone on Do Not Disturb so you won’t be interrupted.
- (Optional: Write down all of your current commitments and any potential areas you could focus on for the rest of the year. Sometimes it can help to see things visually. Examples could be Work, Family, Community, Gym, Faith, Finances, etc.)
- Ask yourself what 3-4 areas of your life are most important right now. Trust your gut feeling here.
- Rank those top areas from 1-3 or 1-4 depending on how many categories you’ve chosen, #1 being most important. (Do NOT choose more than 4 or it will become overwhelming!)
- These are your key areas of focus. When you’re creating your weekly or daily schedule, fit these in first.
- If you have other areas you’d like to focus on as well, you can add 2-3 secondary items below your top ones but they should only be scheduled once you’ve made time for your Top 3 or Top 4.
- Anytime you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, refer to your list and remind yourself that you don’t need to do everything, you just need to do what’s important.
When I did this exercise for myself, I noticed an immediate decrease in my stress levels (my Top 4 are Home, Faith, Health, and Business.) I’d been struggling to fit some of my “To do” list in and as soon as I took stock and assessed what my true priorities are in this season, I was able to drop some of the less important tasks without feeling guilty.
Bottom line: you cannot do everything at all times. Because we’ve had such a crazy year, even things you were able to manage 6-7 months ago may simply not be realistic right now. Setting aside a few minutes to take stock of your current season, determining what is most important, and then organizing your life around your priorities is a quick, simple way to lower anxiety and increase you sense of wellbeing. Trust me, it works!
You know what’s also great about this exercise? You can redo it any time your season shifts, be that in a few weeks or a few months.
So there you have it. A quick, easy tool to help you get the most out of the rest of 2020.
Do you have any tools you love that help you refocus? Share them with me in the comments!
