Some days I just can’t seem to focus. I have a whole list of things to do, all directed towards my vision, but somehow the next step seems to elude me. I find myself starting, stopping, questioning, overthinking and then getting frustrated with myself for wasting time!
I really value being able to choose a path and stay true to it not bouncing from path to path like a rabbit in headlights.
Fortunately, I have a bank of calming and clearing techniques that help me move forward! I thought I’d share a few of them with you here:
- Have faith in the decision you’ve made, small or big. This is probably the most important one. Doubting your decision, even small ones will play on your mind and constantly bug you. If you’ve taken a path, walk it with confidence. Just make a decision and move on with getting it complete.
- Baby steps, baby rewards. I tend to set expectations on myself that are unrealistic. Even in one day, there’s only so much one can achieve! I remind myself to ‘let go and let it flow’ rather than push myself harder and harder towards self-imposed deadlines.
- Get off the internet! Straying into other people’s web sites and getting distracted by a constant stream of web sites that all seem better than mine – that’s a sure fire way to begin questioning what you’re doing and why! Do whatever it takes to keep true to your own ideas and that includes creating some guidelines around when you’ll browse and when you’ll focus. There’s time for both, but not while you’re trying to create something unique of your own!
- Cultivate your own thoughts. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable to be with our own thoughts and often when we’re on the verge of a breakthrough, we get uncomfortable and seek the company of others to quieten the creative mind and avoid the discomfort. When you have a creative mind, your ideas need space to evolve, to form and to brew. Learn to enjoy the solitude and feel the frustration when you have to rather than filling up your time and space with entertainment and distractions. Know that your frustration is leading you somewhere great!
- Take baby bites – be really clear. I constantly have to remind myself that I’m much more productive when I allow myself small windows of time to focus. When there’s a lot to get through, the temptation is to keep going, pushing yourself to the limits in the attempt to finish everything in one sitting. That’s not practical and not efficient. Your brain has a limit and it needs rest and revival time, so chunk your work down into baby bites that you can achieve and feel good about. Set some really clear goals for periods of time, then take a break and start again on the next bite.
And remember - 'frustration means you’re about to have a breakthrough!'