Focus
Focus is one of those things that we struggle with as human beings. There are often many distractions and competing priorities that are tugging away at our attention and this makes it incredibly difficult to get focused and stay focused. Sound familiar? The problem here is that it takes time and energy (two of our most valuable resources) to refocus.This can be an inefficient use of our time and energy and it’s very often preventable! With a solid focus, we are able to function with greater clarity, solid alignment, and ultimately show up with more effectiveness in our professional (and personal) lives. Focus matters SO much, we have dedicated TWO pages every single month to this practice.
How to Complete "My Focus Map"
Step 1: Begin with the centre ring of the focus map diagram (labeled ‘focus’) and insert the ONE aspect of our life that you want to focus on for the month (you can take your answer from the bottom of the “My Focus” page or come up with something more specific).
Step 2: In the second ring (labeled ‘needs’), consider what you will need to direct your focus on this one aspect. Your “needs” are the things/conditions that will tee you up for success. They can be things within your control and/or things/conditions that you can ask others to help you with.
Step 3: In the outer ring (labeled ‘feelings’), consider what it will feel like if/when you are able to maintain your focus on this aspect for an entire month. This is a visualization practice and it is highly effective at laying the foundation for you to take the necessary actions to reach a goal.
Let’s walk through an example:
Focus (inner ring) = Sleep (quality and quantity)
Needs (second ring) = Early nights, calming experiences, more presence awareness of my time in the evenings, an earlier routine
Feelings (outer ring) = Energized, rested, capable, stronger, healthier, clearer, more balanced
Now, by completing this exercise, you’ve accomplished two important things. Firstly, you’ve taken a moment to become very present and aware of an area that needs some extra attention. You’ve been thoughtful and tapped into your “head” (cognitive) side of things to identify where you should be focusing. Second, you’ve attached needs and feelings to this area of focus. By engaging your “heart” (emotional) side, you have now completely immersed yourself in this area of focus and teed yourself up for greater success with staying focused. Therein lies the secret to finding and keeping your focus. With practice, month over month in your ONE Book, you’ll begin integrating this pattern in other areas of your life too! Remember, we are whole human beings and so it only makes sense that we need to deliberately engage both our cognitive and emotional sides for the things that matter most.
