[ThursdayClub] Creating YOUR Focus System
Happy Fri-YAY!
I know, short week here in the states if you are a classic corporate worker – so some of you are still in vacation mode and that’s totally cool! If you are – bookmark this and start your September project next week. Vacays are important in my book.
For me, Q4 is traditionally my busiest time of the year – the post-summer, OMG we have got to get this shit done calls start flowing in, budget dollars need to be used, people want to get healthy, and the combination of all of that and everything in between. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE it – as a business owner, you are always happy when you have happy customers flying through your inbox.
Silly girl that I am, I used to think I could take the end of the year off to you know, enjoy the holidays, and regroup for Q1. Year after year, I try and year after year I would have a slammin’ Q4. I’m going with the flow instead of against it now and with all that work, I need to be UBER focused. For this ADD girl – focus takes work – and a lot of it. I’m the queen of the focus hacks, tools, and systems. So buckle up because I’m going to show you how to CREATE YOURS.
The SET-UP. This part is so critical – if you skip it, then don’t bother doing the rest because you won’t get the results you want. For most people, not all – but most, having a CLUTTER-free space is a MUST. I know for many working from home, where you don’t have a private space this may be hard, but even if that means carving out a part of your bedroom or the dining room table – remove the clutter and that includes the clothes piled up on that new Peloton you bought. You know I’m talking to you…
Set up for Success
- Make sure you did last week’s assignment of understanding HOW you best work, WHAT environment is most productive, WHERE you can pump out the projects, and ensure your WHY is in the right mindset.
- Based on #1 – Create that HOW, WHAT, WHERE environment on the WEEKEND. If that means shoveling out your office, cleaning off the desk, and tossing all of that in a closet so you can’t see it then do it. PS – you’ll have to deal with that closet at some point, but that’s another Marie Kondo conversation we will have.
Know your plate – be visual.
This isn’t about eating the entire elephant at once, but you do need to know where the hell that elephant is, does the elephant have friends, and what does the elephant need.
- Big Picture: Brendon Burchard’s Battle Board. When I was in a sticks and bricks I LOVED this system – whiteboard, sticky notes, and life plotted out where I could see it. Grab his YouTube video here. The secret is to know what you have going on for business and your personal life – where are the priorities, what are the goals, and what are the action steps. For me having the big visual works! Now I have a tiny little whiteboard hanging over a TV, and lots of sticky notes. I also have a battle board journal – that I plot it all out.
- Planner – be it on paper or on your tablet – you need one. This is where you take your Battle Board action items and break them down into daily tasks. So your BIG task’s tasks. Again – prioritize. ONLY put on your DAY what you will do that DAY. Be reasonable.
- Put your goals in your planner. This works great if you are working towards a big goal – losing weight, paying off debt, training for a race, tackling putting together a course. I like to put where I am, what I accomplished that day, and how far I have to go. Think of it as one of those thermometer signs non-profit’s use for fundraising. Same thing! I’ve tried digital planners and don’t love them – so I’m back to my paper one.
- Appointments, Dates, Events – they ALL go in the planner. When you miss things, it’s stressful, when you are stressed – you lose focus. The more organized you are – the better you will be. All appointments go in my digital calendar, so my team can see them AND I use Calendly to set appointments. No wasting time going back and forth with “how about this time or that” – pick a date and boom we are done.
- Notes – take them. For one, when you write things down you’ll remember them – unless of course you have a photographic memory, then lucky you! I have Notability on my iPad Pro and LOVE IT! I mean love it, changed my life love it. I resisted for a long time because I love to Journal – but this is great. PLUS all my notes are organized and I can share them with my team if I want. It also helps with tiny house living.
Manage your Stress
I can 100% promise you, that if you are a crazed person every morning, you’ll have a hard time focusing during the day. I don’t care how clean your office is – easing into your day, taking time for self-care is vital for your focus success.
This is what I do.
- I get my ass out of bed early, I sip coffee, I write, I journal, I workout – I do anything but WORK until I’ve had at least 2 hours of ME.
- I eat a clean diet – plant-based, low to no refined sugar, low to no processed foods, and low to no alcohol – I’m not clogging my arteries or my brain full of crap. Food as Fuel people!
- I Move. Exercise clears your brain. It just does. Get up and move for at least 30 minutes a day.
- SLEEP – I mean 7-9 hours of good sleep. PS – don’t eat sugar before you go to bed, trust me – just don’t.
- I shared during one of my emails my latest obsession is Adaptogen Elixir – it manages the effects of stress and I sleep like a damn baby. I focus better, I’m more patient – it’s happy in a bottle people! Grab 25% off when you use this link – 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you hate it (which you won’t) you can get your $$$ back. I’m obsessed, and currently drinking a bottle of it now.
And THAT is how you set up your Focused System to Rock your Productivity.