Keep your eye on the prize!
Are you struggling to stay focussed on your life and career? Is multitasking the norm? Do you never seem to have enough time in the day to get through your “to do list”? Then maybe it is time to take a step back, refocus and rebalance to keep your eye on the prize!
I am sure we can relate to someone who is so disorganised that we feel stressed being around them. It is easy to notice that they seem to be “all over the place”. They seem to be anxious and on edge all the time but never really seem to achieve very much.
Neuroscience tells us that our brain works most efficiently when we focus on one task at a time. This allows us to put all our energy into this task to complete it efficiently. However too much focus for too long can cause us to exhaust the focus circuits in our brain causing us to drain our energy and impair our decision-making ability. The data suggests that the brain works optimally when we flip between focussed and unfocussed periods during the day.
When we create a balance, we get the best out of our body, mind, and life. Try alternating between focussed and unfocussed tasks to stay energised and prevent depletion. Use tools like task lists, and calendar reminders and alternate these with some downtime. This allows your mind to daydream, practice mindfulness or read a novel.
It is exciting that every day we are learning more about how we can work smarter and not harder. So how do we stay focussed on our end goal our prize? Discussing ways to create efficiencies with my clients can often create stress. They are often just too exhausted to think about planning a new strategy.
Did you know that people who can visually describe their goals are 1.2 – 2.4 times more likely to achieve their goals. Part of the reason this happens that when we write things down and visualise them. They are more likely to be stored in our long-term memory.
You see our currency for success is energy. As we become more energised, this equips us to maintain and sustain our success. However, being too exhausted prevents our ability to maintain the momentum to succeed.
As Tony Robbins says, “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”. Having a vision (your prize) is important but if you don’t have a plan to get there then you will constantly feel depleted, frustrated and success will be hard to reach and sustain.
3 Tips to keep your eye on the prize!
- Plan and visualise your key tasks every day. We know that thoughts create our reality and in turn generate emotions and feelings. This causes us to take action to produce results.
- Get to know how you feel and what time of the day you feel most productive. Once you identify this period, schedule your most important tasks during this time.
- Avoid multitasking and instead alternate between focussed and unfocussed tasks. That way you are creating a balance and conserving your energy.
Viewing your body and mind currency as energy helps to better understand how to fuel our body. Good fuel in = greater efficiencies, productivity, and success. This creates a “feel good” experience that makes us want to do more of this.
The food that you eat becomes currency for your body to strengthen and become more efficient, while supporting healthy longevity. So, when you consider the food, you eat as fuel for your body and mind then you start to make better food choices. To start, consider adding foods to your diet that will improve brain health such as avocado’s, olive oil, walnuts, and cold-water fish such as tuna and salmon.