This is me. I am trying to stay focused. It's a real struggle for me. As someone who is easily distracted, staying focused is SO HARD for me. I get distracted so freaking easily. Every ten minutes I want to do something different. This happens to me every. single. day.

New email? I need to check it now!
Text message? Gotta respond so they know I am here.
Car pulling up? Oh, that might be my amazon package!
Instagram post? I deserve a break, this will just take a minute.

It happens to me ALL THE TIME.  So in order to stay focused, here are 3 easy tips you can start today:

• Wake up and go. There isn't time for a shower or to second guess yourself. As soon as the alarm goes off and the coffee is in your hand, it's time to get to work. This is when you haven't been distracted by the million other things that are going to hit your plate today. Get to work right when you get up!
• Put the phone away. Turn it off and lock it up. Put it in the other room. Just being able to see your phone or having it in arm's reach is enough to get distracted. So turn it all the way off and put it away.
• Headphones on.  For me, just putting on headphones sends a signal to my brain that it is time to get to work. Earplugs, headphones, wireless ear buds, whatever...just have something that tunes out the noise so you can concentrate.

​Set a timer for 90 minutes and GET TO WORK! It's focused February!

I was in college the first time I learned about goal setting. It was a strange concept to me. Growing up, my family had always focused on happiness and just seeing where things take you. I believed that we didn’t have any say over our circumstances or situation in life. I thought that the government and rich people had control. That there was nothing I could do.  So this idea of me getting to decide my life and my reaction to what happened to me was new. Up until that point, I thought life happened to you. Not that life happened for you.

In the class lecture, the professor talked about how when you make goals you should break them down into smaller, actionable tasks to reach the bigger goal. I didn’t buy it. I was so confused by this entire idea of goal setting. It didn’t align with my idea of just seeing where life takes you. As a straight A student, I had some things I wanted to discuss about this. So I walked into my college professor’s office hours to talk more.

I remember the day clearly. As I stepped into his office, I looked around and saw taped onto his wall a list of his monthly goals. Written in a sharpie pen, he had listed a bunch of things like “walk 3 miles” and “buy new stove.” I looked around some more and sat down into the chair in front of his desk. I remember how comfortable the light blue chair cushion was I felt the coldness of the metal hand rests as I sat there, ready to fire away at my questions.

Then a life changing experience occurred. In that single  5 minute conversation, my mind expanded in more ways than it had in the prior 20 years of my life. I felt more in control, more alive, and more hopeful. The thought of being able to write down what I want, and make actionable steps to achieve it…I was blown away. And hungry to learn more. That conversation was the kickstart to the rest of my life’s work. My obsession with personal development and positive thinking had begun.
Which leads me to today. After 15 years of goal setting, I STILL haven’t accomplished everything I want. And I’ve spent years beating myself up about it. This year is going to be different. Yes I am going to make goals. But I am determined to not feel sorry for myself, beat myself up, or cry about it. It’s time to relax. And achieve these goals gracefully.

How about this year, instead of beating ourselves up for not achieving everything we want,  let’s celebrate how far we’ve come! How about we  go into 2020 with enthusiasm. It’s time for us to take our control back. It’s a 3 Step Solution to the Resolution:

• Focus on the long term.
• Write down the thing you really want to do and not the thing everyone else wants you to do or that society is telling you to do.
• Tell yourself “I will do it.”
  

​My New Years Resolution? In addition to exercising more, eating more healthy, and saving more money, I have a mantra of Own It. Own my life and stop blaming other people or circumstances for the position I am in today. No one got me here except myself.

Here's to a fantastic, fabulous, and fit 2020 everyone!