How to regain focus in chaotic times
Photo : David Travis
How focused are you feeling these days?
Right now, it's not exactly easy to shut out the world and move forward on big plans. Or even small ones!
I also know that you can do that. Even when the world is throwing everything at you.
Sometimes, that's actually the best time to move forward.
When life feels chaotic and the usual routines are upended anyway... well, that's a natural time for disrupting a pattern that's not working. When uncertainty is already the order of the day, it can be a little easier to justify creating some (inspired) changes.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, you're far from alone. You're also not as far away from your plans and visions as you think. There's plenty we can do to recalibrate and set ourselves on a less distracted and more intentional course.
But it still requires a bit of work. A bit of checking in with yourself. A bit of capacity building.
It requires space.
It requires being-ness.
It requires action.
How do you get there when you Just. Can't. Focus.?
First, check in.
Where have you been feeling a little (or a lot) off your game lately? How is a lack of focus showing up for you? Maybe it's action-oriented such as more procrastinating, avoidance and less clear decision-making. It could also be showing up as mental distraction, seeking comfort or just a very cluttered mind (my hand is raised on that last one - my morning meditation has been monkey-minding all over the place!). It might be emotional, too. Feeling out of focus shows up in a myriad of ways, so it's good to spend some time sussing out your own flavor here.
Recalibrate your energy.
What do you need to better manage your energy so that it's possible to address those places you just identified? If you've been following me for a while or have ever coached with me you already know that "what do you need right now?" is one of my go-to coaching (and self coaching) questions. Ask it until you have answers and have given yourself what you said you needed. Repeat as necessary to feel an actual shift. Energy management can often be about getting back to basics, however you define those.
Ask the grounding questions
With the cobwebs shaken out a bit, you can get to the bottom of what needs to happen next.
Given my actual capacity, what is most important right now?
What do I truly want (or need) to focus on now?
What is distracting me from what I truly want to focus on?
What am I avoiding focusing on?
What can I move forward on today that my future self will love me for doing (even if that's just your tomorrow self)?
Whittle down your next steps
This is where you can take some action. Action that is inspired by the check in and the grounding that you've done first. When we're feeling unclear and unfocused, taking action usually isn't all that efficient. We do, re-do, spin, rethink, revise, take more action, and generally feel like we're not making the progress we desire to make. Then we start telling a lot of stories around that. We want to avoid that mess.
Your grounding questions have shown you where you need to go next. So that's where you're going to go. As one of my favorite sayings goes, "what you focus on expands," so let's all take a step back and be intentional in what we're expanding in our lives.
If you need some help getting clear and getting focused on whatever is most important for you right now, consider booking a Clarity Call. I can help..