5 Ways to Increase Focus to Accomplish your Goals

What is a Power Action List and how is it different than a TO-DO list? 

A TO- DO list often lists everything you think you need to do, its usually long, boring, and really good at keeping you busy. But busy and productive are too VERY different things.  

This is not a To Do List. This is a POWER action list. Using the 80/20 principle we can say that certain actions will get more bang for their buck. The 80/20 principle is from statistics and shows that 80% of our results typically come from 20% of the actions we take. The key is taking the actions that get the biggest results. While a to-do list does get things done- ie. organizing your desk, checking your email, and responding to that social media comment. However, those "tasks" are just tasks that while may be important, do not usually get you closer to your goals. Instead of writing down 30 tasks, which you often only get to a few that day anyways, just write down 3-5 MUST do actions. Circle the 1-3 actions that will give you the biggest result to help you get closer to your goal. I.e. Call that client who's deal will pay you 10x everyone else. 

Do the 20% of actions that get you 80% of results today. I do this every Monday for the week. Most of the time anything after the top 5 wasn't that important anyways! Those "tasks" were just keeping me busy! Now I do the top 1-3 actions that get the biggest result and every week I get closer to my goals until I accomplish them. 

The other 20% either gets filled in later, or you realize you didn’t even need it in the first place.

This not only Prioritizes your time, it also maximizes your focus and energy.

People often ask, “Corey, how do you accomplish so much in such a short amount of time?” 

While there are a number of tools I use to maximize and leverage my time- the one most important thing I do is monotask. 

Wait what?! Doesn’t everyone want to be a MULTI-tasker? 

I view multitasking like juggling. It looks like you are doing a lot, but really you can only focus on one ball, one movement, one thing at any given time. If you try to focus your eyes on two balls at the same time, you drop them. 

Same thing with managing your tasks- if you try to do two things at once, you drop the ball because you are not as effective or efficient on the task at hand. You are also more likely to make a mistake and take more time to accomplish your task. 

Monotasking is the idea of focusing intensely on one thing with 100% of your energy towards to complete the task at hand. 

In juggling, you monotask each action. 

Two balls in one hand, one in the other. Throw one ball up, the ball gets to highest point, throw the second ball, then with free hand catch falling ball, then focus on second ball- when its at its highest point throw ball 3, don’t worry about ball 3, catch ball 2. Ball 2 is caught, now look back to ball 3 and at highest point, throw ball 1, then focus on catching ball 3. Then catch ball 1.

Congrats you have juggled. But really you very quickly switch between each monotask to make it look like you multitask. 

Studies have shown that highly functioning “mutli-taskers” just very quickly shift their focus between tasks.

When you put 100% into one task, you do it better and faster, and build MOMENTUM. 

In the game of goal accomplishment, momentum matters. It’s easier to keep a moving bike moving with little effort on the pedals, but it takes a lot of energy and inertia to push the pedal down from a dead stop. 

Momentum from Monotasking makes it that much easier to accomplish your goals. 

Struggling to come up with actions that can get you the biggest result? 

This often is more of an issue of your “state” of mind than a lack of imagination. People tell themselves they don’t know instead of asking “what can I do or how can I take massive action? or If I did know, what would I do?"

To get out of this “state” of mind, we recruit the body. The body can drastically change your state of mind as see with…

Power Posing

Amy Cuddy is a Harvard Psychologist who did a study to show that 2 minutes of Power Posing increased testosterone, decreased the stress hormone cortisol, and you are a 1/3 more likely to focus on your goals! 

What is power posing? 

It is changing your body language to create a physiological change that affects your hormones and your mind.

How do you do this?

1.     Stand up tall, shoulders back, chest out, open, head up, eyes up, chin up, and hands on your hips.

2.     Think of Superman or Wonder Woman.

          How long do you need to do this?

• Just 2 minutes to get these results!
  

By Power Posing while creating your Power List, you will be more resourceful and create better actions that are more FOCUSED on your goals. 

Ever notice after lunch that everyone at work is "sooooo sleepy 😴😴."

Many people need a coffee afterwards JUST to make it through the day. I've studied the body intensely and how to maximize energy and focus. Everyone assumes they are tired because of a long day or long week. 

Did anyone think about what they did right before? 

Usually they just ate a huge meal. Many people have a hamburger, French fries, and a soda. Which is loaded with carbohydrates (carbs) and causes a massive insulin spike which then makes you......TIRED!! Is it easier or harder to focus when your tired? That's what I thought.

An easy way to lighten the load is skip the soda! Your average can has 40-45 grams of sugar (carbs) in just 12 ounces! You can always opt for a protein style burger, salad, or skip the fries. Or you can eat foods that have less of an impact on your insulin levels such as rice. 

Even small minor adjustments help with your overall energy and ability to focus!

For a healthy snack I recommend Quest Protein Bars or Protein Chips! (Cookies and Cream is my favorite 😋)

 For bio hacks on giving your body more energy click here to read 5 Hacks to Maximizing Energy, Health, for Producitivity. 

Also, I highly recommend a green drink for health, energy, and focus. The one I use is Athletic Greens.

Fear is an interesting emotion. The fear or worry or stress of not being good enough, failing, embarrassment, rejection all play a role in why we sometimes choose to distract ourselves for a moment. Because in that moment its hard and tough to stay focused and scrolling social media makes us feel better. I say use Fear to Drive you. But How?

Focus on Fear of NOT accomplishing your goal.

Visualize what it will feel like if you do not accomplish this goal this month, year, or the next ten years. How will it negatively impact your life. Make the pain real, then think about that pain as if it is today, right now, then double it to make it even more intense. This is not a "good experience" but its not supposed to be. You want to fear spending the next ten years of your life not accomplishing your goals. 

I recently heard someone say, "Why is everyone not running towards their goals like there is a fire behind them?"

Interesting question, but I thought about that and realized life is finite. It will end, the fire will consume us. In the short time we have, we have to run towards our goals like theres a fire chasing us. The harder you run, the further away you get and the more time you have to enjoy your life. 

Whatever your fear or pain is from NOT accomplishing your goals, let that drive you to focus on your goal.

Fear of something is a much stronger driving force than pleasure or excitement of an opportunity.

You are much more likely to go to the gym if you focus on the pain of not being able to fit into your clothes than on the “far off pleasure” of a bikini body.

You are much more likely to work harder if you fear not being able to put food on the table than if you just want another nice watch or a 3rd vacation.

By Focusing on what you don’t have if you don’t accomplish this, you bring fear and pain in as a complement to the pleasure of accomplishing this goal.

Pain will get you started when you don’t feel like it. Pleasure will keep you going once you see the reward.