The Power of Reflection: Tune In and Tune Up Your Focus

In the spirit of reflection, let’s bring it on back to the recalibration of focus. 

It’s been a little while, so now’s a good time to check in and give your focus a tune-up. Get in the habit of maintenance. It’s key for keeping your life running like a well-oiled machine. And your focus is one of those things that needs more checks and balances than most areas, because it gets derailed pretty quickly and, before you know it, you’re cruising on autopilot again, living for the new hulu shows and settling for mediocrity.

So let’s tune in and tune up!

Answer these 10 questions to gauge how you’ve been doing. 

And be honest. No guts, no glory. 

1. In general, do you feel overwhelmed or at peace? 
2. At the end of the day, do you feel fulfilled?
3. Are you carving out time for yourself? 
4. Are you spending meaningful time with the people you love? 
5. Are you getting any closer to achieving the goals you’ve been working toward? 
6. Do you feel happy or frustrated?
7. Are you moving your body for at least 30 minutes every day? 
8. Do you make time for stress relief and mental health? 
9. Are you eating foods that fuel your body and mind? 
10. Have you been keeping promises to yourself? 

Get over the overwhelm

It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed and stressed from time to time, but you really don’t have to feel that way all the time. And if you do, it’s a pretty solid sign that something isn’t right. You are living out of alignment. Your life isn’t balanced. And that kind of stress just isn’t sustainable in the long term. Fight it by taking a look back at what you’ve identified as important to you. And truly making a deeper commitment to spend more of your energy on those things. The stress will subside and you’ll be over the overwhelm. 

Find fulfillment 

There’s a big difference between working hard and feeling exhausted and working hard and feeling fulfilled. Exhaustion comes from doing work that doesn’t set you on fire. Spending too much time and effort on things that drain you and don’t feed your thrill. When your actions aren’t aligning with your desired outcomes (ie, you need to recalibrate your focus) you won’t feel fulfilled. It’s that simple. 

“You time” is not an option

If you can’t find even just 15 minutes of time for yourself, you’ve got a bigger problem than your focus. Seriously, it’s critical. Yes, you need to do things for yourself. But you also need to not do things for yourself. As in veg the heck out. 

Quality over quantity. It wins every time.

Yes, you may spend entire days with the people you love — your significant other, your kids, your mom — but nobody is going to feel awesome about it unless the time you spend is meaningful. One-on-one time. Eye contact. That kind of thing. 

Don’t settle for not pursuing your goals

Listen, if you’re not getting closer to achieving any of the goals you set for yourself, you’re like almost everyone else. It’s easy to get sucked into the rat race to the detriment of your personal achievements. But that doesn’t make it okay. Don’t settle for this. Take a stand and refocus your energy. It’s the only way to get ahead.

Fight the frustration

If you can sum up how you’re feeling in general as frustrated, you better stop everything and fix your focus ASAP. That is your soul shouting at you to shift your focus. Align your actions. And do it now. 

Move it or lose it

There is no excuse for not moving your body every day. Being idle is unhealthy for your body, mind, and spirit. Take a walk. Go for a jog. Dance in your pjs. Just move. It will put a new spin on your outlook and power your motivation for what’s important. 

Explore your zen

Our lives are nutso. If you don’t work to actively combat stress, it will one day overpower you. Anxiety disorders aren’t fun. Neither is adrenal fatigue. Take care of yourself. Get the massage, do the deep breathing, meditate, sniff lavender … whatever. Just relax. 

Healthy food = Happy mood

Seriously, when you eat well, you feel well. It makes you feel in your power. When you consciously choose what you put into your body, you are taking control over your health, making you feel vibrant, and happy because you’re focusing on something that’s really beneficial. 

Never break a promise to yourself

If you’re keeping promises left and right and all over town, but bailing on yourself, your focus needs some serious TLC. You can’t fill someone else’s cup when your own is empty. Treat yourself with respect and never ever break a promise to yourself. 

Reset your focus. Use what’s working and what’s not to recalibrate for your best outcome. Try your new action items on for size and, in a few weeks, repeat this all over again. Living your best life is a continual process. Stay on it!