Do you have enough time in the day to get all of your stuff done? 

If your answer is “Are you kidding me? Heck no!” then keep reading…

HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE? 

First of all, there is not a single person I know {friend, client, myself!} who can get it “all” done.

In fact, I’ve read studies such as, “If you add up how long it’d take to do every item on your to-do list, it’d take an average of 400 hours.” {And that’s with NO interruptions – and nothing else added to your list during that time.} Chances are, you and I will not be blocking out 400 hours of uninterrupted time on our calendars.

SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER? 

1st:  Suggestion:  Streamline that list! {prioritize, delegate, delete} … give yourself a break – you simply can’t do it all. Period.

2nd: ***My SECRET to getting SO much more done***:  EXTREME FOCUS. 

Check out this scenario:

Yesterday, my 11-year old and I were playing the game Memory. {With all cards face down, each player takes turns flipping over two in hopes of finding a match. The player with the most matched pairs at the end wins.}

GAME #1: It was just the two of us. No distractions. I was on fire – won by two.

GAME #2: My younger one came in to watch and must have asked me a minimum of 17 questions. The result of that game? Disastrous for me. Why? Because I was distracted: which =’s UNfocused. 

The difference between how I excelled in the 1st game and crashed in the 2nd – unbelievable!

Now for something like a game with my boys, that’s what happens and I’m okay with that. {Kind of.} HOWEVER, there are certain things requiring my best. And when I’m in my extreme focus zone, I get 10x’s better results – and I complete it MUCH FASTER. Great combo.

Here are 5 tips on best getting and using that fabulous focus:

  • Determine what types of activities would most benefit from having 100% of you {for me: writing, doing my weekly prep, cooking(!)}
  • Know your best time of day and schedule focus time at this time {for me: morning, for sure}
  • Turn off distractions {phone ringer, Facebook, email inbox alerts… And if you have “little distractions” that are pitter pattering around the house calling out “MOM!!!!!!,” help them respect your “off duty” time if they are old enough, or find pockets of time while they are napping.}
  • Clear surroundings {When my environment is aesthetically pleasing – clutter free, candle lit, comfy, I can get myself into this amazing zen-like zone focus – looooove it!}
  • Take mini breaks. Just taking a few minutes to shift your mind {do a few yoga poses, throw clothes in the wash, have a healthy snack} is actually huge in being able to think / work best. But if you don’t have a big block of time…
  • Utilize small bits of focus time. Don’t underestimate what you can get done in focused spurts.

TAKE ACTION:  Put to use now!

  1. What types of activities that are on YOUR list would benefit most from extreme focus?
  2. Literally schedule little blocks of focus time into your calendar.

And please keep me posted on how it’s working for you!