“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” ~ Anthony Robbins
Did you know that by the end of January, most people will have failed to keep most (if not all) of their New Year’s resolutions?
So what happens to all that excitement and burning motivation? Why do our great intentions fizzle out so easily?
Perhaps we aim too high. Or maybe the idea is there but the way just isn’t clear – so instead of just picking up and pointing ourselves in the right direction, we feel the fear and creep back to the squidgy spot we were before.
(And it’s still warm. Hmmm, sometimes it’s just more cosy to not have to change anything at all.)
But from my experience, there is one thing that can totally make or break how successful you are at maintaining the momentum of a new intention.
It is your ability to maintain your focus.
Intention and focus are kind of like being in a steamy bathroom.
Seriously.
(Yes, another hot shower analogy. What can I say? It just works for me.)
You get to stand in the water and feel invigorated by your new idea. You feel like you are washing away the old you, that clingy stuff that you know is holding you back. It’s a zingy, tingly, freshening up of the inner you.
Your head is clear and there’s a fire in your belly. You want something, badly.
But the time comes when you just have to get out of the shower and back into the real world before your hands get all wrinkly. There you are, all warm and smelling yummy and clean to the world, full of anticipation. You open the shower door (or flamboyantly thrust the curtain back) and suddenly -
You’re standing there in the cold, freezing your arse off, fumbling for a towel.
And this is the problem. To fuel the fire in your belly and keep the momentum moving forward, you need a lot of steam.
But all that steam just keeps on fogging up your glasses, dammit. How the hell can you see what you’re doing or where you’re headed through the fog in front of your eyes?
What you need is to get focused!
If you start to lose your way and yearn for the cosy comfort of the old you, it helps to have a number of strategies you can call on to help realign yourself towards your goals. You need to practise getting back the goose bumps of your original intention. Seek out the pins and needles and hope for the rush of blood that comes from being on the verge of something new.
Here are 12 clean and easy ways to get more focus into your life;
- Stick around focused people. There is nothing more powerful than surrounding yourself with people who are on target, passionate and virtually running away from themselves with glorious momentum. Get thee next to a buzzed up peer group and notice how great it feels to be drawn up by the goodness instead of dragged down. Even if you do nothing else, do this.
- Go find a frog to eat. If the worst thing you have to do all day is eat a live frog, then everything else that comes after should be a piece of cake. So if you want to erase the fuzzies and move towards your goal, search for the fattest frog that will leap you there the fastest. Then, get munching.
- Chunk it down. Often we lose focus because we have the final goal in mind, but no plan for how we might get there. And while I’m a huge fan of winging it with style, some intentions really do need a road map. Get your mits on some free mindmap software and spend a little time brainstorming how to move forward with your intention. What specific steps will you need to take? Who exactly do you need to help you get there? What resources? Breaking your project down into steps will help you get clear on what you need to do next.
- Breathe. A frazzled state of mind does not serve you. Stand in front of a mirror and watch yourself as you breathe. Are your shoulders moving up and down with each breath? If so, then you need to go lower. Here’s a brilliant exercise for learning to breath more dynamically – place both hands on your back and feel for the base of your ribs. Take a long, slow breath in and concentrate on expanding this space between your hands as far apart as you can. It should feel like you are breathing into your back instead of your chest. Do this a number of times, and notice how much more relaxed and centered you feel.
- Drink more water and pay attention to what you eat. Being dehydrated does nothing for your ability to concentrate (just look what it does to a plant). And eating poorly only compromises your body and makes your job even harder. Think of how a child reacts to an overload of sugar and you’ll see what I mean – it’s like ADHD on steroids. If you need to focus, give you body the best chance of making it possible by sticking to clean and energising food.
- Wash the dishes to wash the dishes. Focus is simply another way of being mindful, and allowing yourself to truly sink into the awareness of a task is an essential skill. In The Miracle of Mindfulness
, Thich Nhat Hahn tells his students that while washing dishes, “one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes.” We often sleepwalk through life, our minds on one thing while our bodies play upon another, while never being truly present in either one. Becoming mindful strengthens your attention span, your concentration and fine tunes your awareness.
- Meditation. You will hear this from me often. When you turn down the volume inside your head for at least ten minutes a day (even if it’s just before you get out of bed in the morning) you access a clear and vibrant space where you can just be. I don’t think of it as chilling out or relaxing. If anything, it’s like an internal workout for your soul’s mojo. Shut the chatter down and use the silence inside to sharpen your creative edge.
- Remove the distractions. If you are having trouble focusing, what else is competing for your valuable attention? Turn off the radio, the tv, your phone or the social media stream popping up in your browser with every new tweet. Put a picture up on your wall instead that reminds you of your goal and focus on that.
- Clean up your space. Physical distractions can literally drain your energy – so go make your bed, wash those dishes, pick up the clothes all over your floor and do a spring clean. Once you have a place for eveything, your new Zen-like surroundings will be fertile with productivity.
- Change your state. Anthony Robbins begins every day of his seminars with a frenzy of jumping and bouncing and screaming and dancing for a good reason – this is because our physiology is crucial to how effectively we perform. Getting into a ‘peak state’ will transform the way you get things done – so if you start to feel your shoulders slump and your jaw tighten, go put on some of your favourite tunes and get your booty moving.
- Get in the vortex. The vortex is like being ‘in flow’ where time just flies and you feel awesome and you are focused only on the joy you are getting from whatever it is you are doing. This can happen just by soaking up the laughter of your children as they giggle at something funny. Or getting pumped playing a sport you adore, or being out in nature watching a spectacular sunset. When you experience something that makes you feel awesome in the moment, then consciously wallow in how good it makes you feel. Revel in it. Like meditation, it energises you and clarifies your intentions.
- Watch an inspiring talk or read something thought-provoking and passionate. Go to TED and you’ll find hundreds of incredible presentations by some of the most influential gamechangers there are. And once you’re done there, go and buy Seth Godin’s magnificent new book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
- if you have any doubt about your ability to re-focus, change the world, make a difference and create art no matter what you do, then this will revolutionise the way you see your life’s purpose.
As Bruce Lee once said, “The successful warrior is the average man, but with laser-like focus.” Improving your focus can get you more of what you want, faster and easier…so go whip up some steam and fire up those resolutions once more!
Have you let your goals for the New Year slip? What strategies to regain (and maintain) focus have worked for you?
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Natalie, The steps are a great way to keep focused and move into action -always seems to simplify. I think it is also great to remember that you don’t have to do all 12 steps at once or at all. Choosing one and being focused on that for a period of time is a positive place to start.
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