Three Tips to Focus on What Matters Most

I don’t know how many times in my life I have been focused on everything but what I should be focused on. I let my work become the most important thing with the thought process that the work and income fueled everything else. I think that thinking was flawed, and I will tell you why.

• There were many things I missed out on.
• There were things I didn’t handle, that I should have (hello procrastination and brushing things under the rug).
• Things I let fester that I should have.
• Signs I should have been seeing that I didn’t catch.

All of this sounds like I am beating myself up for the things I didn’t do in the past - I promise you I am not. I know I can not go back and change the way I may have operated in the past - but I can change moving forward and I can also share my mistakes with others so that maybe they don’t take the same long path I did to get to where I am today.

The thing is, there are things that do really matter in our lives:

• Your health
• Your love life
• Your family
• Your friends
• Your inner peace and well being
• Your finances

These things are important. For some women, these can be things that we put on the back burner while we are executing a wonderful career. Can we do it all?

Can we have a great career, be in great health, have an excellent love life, have deep family and friend relationships, and have peace in our home and in our finances?

I know we can - and I am proof.

I didn’t start out here - I came from a place where I worked a full-time job, had a business on the side, and tried to do it all at the same time. The home, family, health, peace. I failed miserably. I often ended up sick, injured, unhappy, without energy, and mostly feeling unloved or unlovable.

I actually at one point in my life remember thinking that people who I saw who were “in love” - I thought they were faking it. It is sad but true.

If you identify with any of these things. I am here to let you know there is a better way, and there is a path forward.

First, Identify for you what is truly out of balance. I annually go through a “wheel of life” exercise which helps me determine what might be out of balance (or in balance). If you want a copy of this, just send me a message or direct message me and I will send you the exercise. Once you know what is out of balance for you it is easier to focus on how to impact these areas.

Second, once you have your areas of focus take some self-reflection time. For each of the out of balance areas ask yourself these key questions:

• What is the pattern that exists here, and why?
• What do I get when this area isn’t functioning?
• What would I get if this area was in balance?
• What massive action am I willing to take to get this back into balance?
• When/what date, will I take this action?

Third, take that action. Some inspiring reading that might help you with taking actions are Mel Robins, 5-second rule. This book really helped me get things moving quickly OR examine if I really wanted to make progress on the goal (was it really important).

These three steps can set you on the right path, but we need regular check-ins and reminders. Try having an accountability buddy. Someone that is ok being tough on you - and you are ok with them being tough on you too. This is a person that should check-in with you monthly (and perhaps you can do the same for them) and just have a conversation about how the goals and your balance are going. This is a good way to keep yourself on track.