Hello June: Chapter 6 of 12
I have totally lost track of this month’s writing! This post should be called Goodbye, June. So, maybe thats the approach I will take. What do I want to say goodbye to in June? I want to say goodbye to my lack of focus.
After May’s gardening & harvest metaphor, June fell short. It felt like a tough month to get motivated and I started the “Find Your Focus” calls because of that. (If anyone is looking for weekly tips on how to focus, join me Monday at 10am est. Send me a DM and I’ll provide the call details.)
I needed to focus myself... and its also the #1 thing my clients tell me they are working on. So far on Mondays, we’ve spoken about Morning Pages (to clear your mind), The Pomodoro Method (to time block your day), and just yesterday, we explored getting to the root of distractions.
When we get to the root of something, its simplicity reveals itself. I created this simple chart to visually see & score yourself on the distractions that most get in your way. These are just a few examples. There are MANY more ways we get distracted. However, when looking at this chart, follow this step-by-step process to uncover the root of your distractions.
1. Rate each type of derailment. There are definitely ones that will resonate more than others. (1=Low Derailment / 10=High Derailment)
2. Explore further -- who, what, when, where, why, how do I get derailed? (after lunch, when my spouse texts me, before I start a big task, when I'm almost finished with my task, etc)
3. Get super curious and creative on how to combat this. Or respond to this post & I can give some suggestions!
4. Create one small step or process to combat this during your week.
When we can be clear on what it is that is distracting us, we can take small steps each week to combat our lack of focus. To give a few examples:
-- ‘Tech/Human Distractions’ require personal discipline and setting boundaries. Leaving your cell phone in another room might help. Telling your spouse/team/boss that you need undivided time every morning from 9-11am can be another option.
-- ‘Too Much Mental Noise’, requires building mental muscle to quiet the mind. Doing 2-minute sensory exercises before a task can help tremendously with focus.
-- ‘Clarity of Vision’ requires a plan & more processing time. Take a walk and process what you really want over the next 6 months. Don’t let your ego tell you why it can’t happen. Just envision what you want & daydream! Put it on paper when you get home.
All of a sudden, the week’s focus isn’t to cross things off a to-do list. The week’s focus is to take it one step higher and create a system for yourself to combat the root of the issue. There is way more longevity in this step and this process can help you for weeks and months to come. You can also grade yourself each quarter and track your progress.
“What gets measured, gets improved”
Good luck my friends & Goodbye June!
