Keeping on Track: How to stay focused
Well, what do you know? It’s past the middle of January.
Did you make resolutions this year? How is that working for you?
If you are like most people, you may have already forgotten resolutions by now. It’s one of the reasons I gave up on them at least a decade ago, because trying to change things just because it’s January is bullshit.
I’m not saying that resolutions are BS, by the way. Just that making them for the start of an arbitrary date is rubbish. And yes, January 1st is as arbitrary a date to start something as January 21st, Or August 13th.
You have the power to change things for yourself any time you want to. Making resolutions because it’s the first day of the Gregorian calendar year is not the best motivation for change, is what I’m saying. But if there IS something you want to change, you can make a start any time. Including today.
And when you do make a change, I’m guessing you are going to want to keep on track with it.
“Successful people are simply those with successful habits.”
Once you decide to make a change, start by writing it down.
It could be a change in your diet or exercise (ever popular choices this time of year, though for the love of God don’t “go on a diet”, because we both know those only work while you stay on them—make a commitment to a lifestyle change that you can live with. Maybe it’s adding a fitness goal, or deciding to move your body every day, or only eating without being in front of a screen (TV, computer, or phone). Yes, I know that your diet (keto, paleo, Weight Watchers, etc.) will help you lose weight. Yes, you and I both know it’s not sustainable for life. Hence my emphasis on a lifestyle change that you can live with.
Your goal could be a change in another habit, such as reading more, watching less TV, limiting social media to two half-hour visits a day, cutting back on smoking or alcohol, drinking more water, writing a poem every day, packing your lunch at least three times a week . . . Whatever it is, first decide, then write it down.
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A refresher on why you want to write it down
This former weekly tip on daring to live the life you’ve always wanted is a BIG help!
Once you have made your decision and written it down, how can you keep on track?
Write. It. Down.
My number one tip is to write it down every single day. The simple act of writing a goal down every day helps keep your mind focused on it, even if it’s not always a conscious focus. Neuroscientists note that we remember things better when we create or generate them ourselves, so writing down your goal each day is a tremendous way to remind yourself that you are serious, and to help your brain stay on track.
So writing down “This year I will make $_____” or “I will be the #1 salesperson at work” or “I will exercise for 20 minutes every day” is a great way to keep your goal front of mind. And in some cases, if your goal relies on other things happening to make your dream come true, it helps you to spot possibilities and connections throughout the day.
If you want to supercharge your goal even more, lots of experts advise that you write it down as if it has already been fulfilled. So instead of “I will be the #1 salesperson at work”, you would right “I am the #1 salesperson at work.” You can tweak other statements in similar ways. “I make $____ per year” or “I exercise for 20 minutes each day”. That idea that is a done deal is there to take any wiggle room out of the statement you’ve decided on. So you are doing, not “trying” or “planning”.
And if you really want to put some extra oomph into it, write it down twice a day: once in the morning and once at night. As Denise Duffield-Thomas says in her book about money mindset, Get Rich, Lucky Bitch, “I heard once that the difference between a millionaire and a billionaire is that a billionaire writes their goals down twice a day.”
Set up a goal tracker for yourself.
If you are a person who has tried the organization method known as bullet journaling, you have probably come across all sorts of ways of making habit trackers or goal trackers. If you haven’t heard of it, then perhaps you’ve checked out some of the available apps out there, such as “Goal Tracker”. Or you can write a simple grid for yourself to check off each day, or create a fun graphic (like those thermometer savings/fundraising posters) that you mark off progress on.
If it’s a money goal, track money saved or money found or money earned (whatever your goal is). If it’s a weight goal (which I hope it isn’t, but . . . ), track it (maybe weekly, instead of daily, if it’s weight). If it’s something like the amount of water you are drinking or the amount of time spent on something, track it.
Basically, you are measuring your progress toward a goal. If your goal is “I have saved $1,500 to pay for vacation”, then write down your deposits into wherever that money is being kept. If your goal is “I meditate every day for 15 minutes”, then write down when you do it. )By doing that, you might be able to see what derails you on the days you don’t.) If it’s “I am the #1 realtor in my group”, then track your sales and leads.
Do what works for you, so if this tracker step seems like a bit too much for you or you won’t keep it up (I am looking at me here, by the way—I’m rubbish at these sorts of trackers), then don’t bother. But maybe give it a try before you rule it out!
And if you want a life coach to help you figure any of this out, get in touch with me!
