September is here! Our goal this month is to increase our focus. This concept can have a few meanings: one, to increase or improve our ability to focus on any given thing, and alternatively, to increase our focus on a larger goal, and to hunker down and begin working diligently toward that big goal, and lastly, to understand fully what drives us and why we want to achieve a given goal.
When we say this month’s goal is to increase focus, we mean all three aspects. Think back to January and the vision you created for yourself. Is this still something you feel is important? Do you still feel equally motivated in and interested in these goals? Only after these questions should we worry about the following: How much progress have you made toward this goal? What can you do to improve your progress? Are the any impediments in your way you need to deal with first? Think about these questions as you being to craft this month’s main focus.
As far as improving our ability to focus on a specific task, this generally comes down to making sure the conditions are ideal, and giving ourselves mental or physical breaks at certain time intervals. The human brain can most ideally focus on a task for 90 minutes, so perhaps schedule a snack, stretch, or chat with someone at this interval. Making sure our breaks do not extend into all day affairs is important. However, remember that there is a fine line between making sue the conditions are “just right” and ideal. We can spend hours trying to make conditions just right, don’t fall victim to the Goldilocks curse. This is often its own form of procrastination.
As we work toward our goals, reminding ourselves of why we want to achieve the goal is important because we can easily forget and find ourselves resenting the hard work. Writing down these and reading our reasons forces us to confront our motivations. You may find that your reasons become more nuanced as time progresses, and this can further positively reinforce your resolve.
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