Have you ever had a day when you just couldn’t seem to get in gear?  Maybe you were having trouble getting started on a project or perhaps you moved from one half completed tasks to the next in a random and almost frantic manner.  You are busy but you don’t feel productive.  You show up but you really don’t feel present?  You are easily distracted by everything from incoming Email to the pencil sharpener. 

If this sounds familiar then you might be suffering from a case of Unclearfocusilitis.  In layman’s terms a lack of clarity and or focus the two foundational elements necessary to reaching any goal big or small.  Without these elements you are likely to arrive at the end of the day, week, month, or year no closer to your big goals then you were when you started and wondering where the time went?

Clarity is knowing what you want to do.  Focus is being able to direct your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual energy to a single activity.  Note:  I did say a single activity.  Multi-tasking in my opinion is not a focused attention.  It’s divided attention for the purpose of expedience.  There are times when multi-tasking is necessary, but it is not a habit that always serves you well.

 The following are three steps that can help you get clear and find focus on a daily basis.  Use them today and let me know Apply it to your day, experience and let be how it makes a difference in your life.

1.        Determine your chief aim : 

Ask yourself:  What do I want from this day?

Your chief aim is the reason why you do what you do.  It is the general state of being that you are trying to reach in accomplishing tasks and goals.  This is a big picture question and should focus on your general state of being. 

For instance the chief aim of getting rich might be financial peace of mind or a sense of freedom.  The chief aim of dressing well might be to feel good about yourself.   The reason you work hard might be to be a have a sense of responsibility or accomplishment.    

State your chief aim as an action statement.   Examples: 

·         I want to experience a sense of accomplishment throughout the entire day.   

·         I want to go through the day feeling peace.  

·         Today I want to uplift others.   

·         Today I want to be highly productive. 

·         I want to fully relax and rejuvenate myself today.

·         Today I want to make by body stronger and healthier. 

·         Today I want to freely express love to others with a smile and a kind word.  

·         Today I want to organize and simplify my home or office.

2.        Align with your chief aim with your big goals: 

Ask Yourself:  How does this connect to my big goals/dreams?

Your goals are most alive when they show up in your daily activities.  The difference between having a dream that is simply wishful thinking and having a dream that is guiding your life is in the doing.  Your daily activities must reflect what you’re working on in your life.  Avoid becoming a dream junkie.  The most value gift you have been given is life in this moment.  Your memories of the past and your hopes for the future exist only in your head.  Real living is in moments just like this one. 

If your chief aim for today is not aligned with your chief aim in life or your big aims, then go back and connect it or consider that it might not be a worthy aim.

3.       Identify daily activities   

Ask yourself:  What must I do today to accomplish my chief aim?

This is where the rubber hits the road.   Your chief aim is only a desire until you identify those things that you can do today to make it real.  If for instance your chief aim is to end the day with a strong sense of accomplishment, then you need to identify those things that you can do to create this feeling.  What does a good day look like?  Write it down and keep it handy as a reference throughout the day.   Remember as always, it’s not what you attain or obtain when reaching for your daily goals it is who you become in the reaching.  Believe in yourself and let today be the day when a new and transformed YOU shines forth.