Focus on This

The novel coronavirus has created a new normal in which many people are working from home for the first time. Sounds great! But how do you keep your focus and keep connected in this new environment with all it’s distractions. It can seem overwhelming. Not to worry. We’ve been working remotely for years, and we’ve got the advice you need to make a smooth transition from the office to the home office. Follow this advice, and you’ll see no letdown in productivity. You may find that you’re even more productive than ever! In this episode, you will discover— Why daily rituals are still valid in the midst of a crisis—perhaps even more so Which components of your rituals can stay the same and which ones need to change Ideas for how to replace workouts and family activities when your schedule is thrown off The one practice you need to maintain to help avoid distractions Suggestions for finding a “focus spot” in your home This episode of Focus on This is brought to you by the Remote Work Handbook. If you’re struggling with remote work in today’s crisis, download this free guide at focusonthispodcast.com/remote.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You dive into the day with a burst of energy—and you get stuff done! Until lunch, that is. Afternoons are a different story. You’re tired. You can’t focus. Your productivity goes into the tank, so you wind up working in the evening and on the weekend. It doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, we’ll show you how to manage your energy, just like your time. When you do, you’ll quit feeling spent every weekend and regain the energy you need to be more productive. Better yet, you’ll finally have the vitality to invest in your other interests and most important relationships. In this episode, you’ll discover: How to overcome the cultural assumption that you’ll be constantly running tired if you’re going to succeed. Practical tips on managing your energy and not just spending it. What happens to your mind and body when you don’t get sufficient rest. The effect of nutritional choices on your daily workflow—and what to do about it. How to conserve energy and avoid decision fatigue by eliminating, automating, or delegating choices. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You love your work, and you can’t wait to get started! But somehow, the day never goes as planned. You get derailed by low-leverage tasks, and half the time you don’t start your big project until after lunch. By the end of the day, you realize you’ll have to finish up at home. By Friday, you’re totally exhausted—and still not done! Nobody knows rollover like we know rollover. After more Saturdays at the office than we care to remember, we’ve found a way to end the rollover problem once and for all. You can do that by bookending your day with workday startup and shutdown rituals. When you do, you’ll finally quit leaving the office with a laptop full of take-home work. You’ll get your margin back and be more productive than ever before. In this episode you will— Find out why you never seem to “get finished” for the day. Learn the best way to stop rolling tasks over to the next day. Understand how the never-ending to-do list is undermining your productivity. Identify the simple fallacy that causes us to take on too much work. Gain the simple trick that will help you start and stop work in a controlled way. Start to feel a sense of completion at the end of the day. This episode of Focus on This is brought to you by Compass, a monthly program to help Full Focus Planner users stay on track with their goals. Learn more at leadto.win/compass.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a high achiever, you have the ability to laser focus and put out huge productivity. But it can seem like your life has no boundaries. Work bleeds into personal time. Your personal habits get erratic. Good habits slip away and unproductive ones take their place. It’s time to ditch that feeling that you’re always a step behind, and start beginning and ending each day relaxed, in control, and knowing that you’re taking care of the things that matter most. In this episode, Courtney and Blake show you two simple hacks that will get your personal habits under control and set you up for a win every single day. You’ll discover: How to structure the beginning and end of your day so you consistently accomplish your daily targets. The relationship between our feelings and rituals—and what we can do about it. Two questions to ask yourself if your rituals aren’t currently working for you. Practical steps to avoid getting sucked into your phone or Netflix. How to identify the activities that will leave you rested and rejuvenated. This episode of Lead to Win is brought to you by Compass, a monthly program to help Full Focus Planner users stay on track with their goals. Learn more at leadto.win/compass.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Keeping your goals and projects moving is not about time management—it’s all about visibility. We’ve got a foolproof hack for keeping your big rocks visible before they tumble down on you. It’s called rolling quarters. In this episode, Courtney and Blake give you tips that will help you start working ahead of schedule, and avoid always playing catch up. Rolling quarters will get you out of crisis mode for good and put the margin back into your life. In this episode you’ll discover— Ideas for navigating a mid-range view of your planning so you can see what’s coming on the horizon. How to avoid being surprised by deadlines ever again. The power of visibility for accomplishing goals. Practical ways to filter out low-leverage commitments. Confidence that your time and energy are always being used to their fullest. This episode of Focus on This is brought to you by Compass, a monthly program to help Full Focus Planner users stay on track with their goals. Learn more at focusonthispodcast.com/compass.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’re a high achiever, which means that you’re getting tapped for greater responsibility. You start each day with a plan, but you quickly get sucked into “reaction mode.” Urgent requests and demands on your time crowd out your own priorities. It’s exhausting. Fortunately, we know a great way to take control of your time and direct the flow of work coming at you. It’s called the ideal week. This simple tool will help you take back control of your time. You’ll say goodbye to reactive mode, get focused on your high-leverage projects, and get a lot more done. In this episode you will discover— What to do if your week doesn’t go according to plan. How to regain control of your time, regardless of your role in your organization. The motivation and courage to adjust your rituals as needed. Practical ways to recover pockets of time that are wasted due to faulty scheduling. How to recover margin and protect what’s important to you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a high achiever, you’re dialed in on productivity. You know how to get things done. But there’s a problem. No matter how much you produce, you always feel behind. There always seems to be a looming deadline that somehow got missed. That puts you on the hamster wheel nearly every week, hustling to get caught up. It’s exhausting. There’s a fix for that. It’s called a Monthly Calendar. Start using this tool to keep track of your Big Rocks, and you’ll escape that feeling of being two steps behind. You’ll have plenty of time for your major commitments and deadlines. Better yet, you’ll have lots more time for the “little rocks” too. In this episode you will— Learn why a weekly calendar view will not help you track deadlines. Find a simple way to keep your big commitments visible at all times. Discover how to gain complete confidence in accepting or declining appointments. Find the space to fit in other important priorities around big commitments like travel or project deadlines. Relax, knowing all your major commitments are under control! This episode of Focus on This is brought to you by Compass, a monthly program to help Full Focus Planner users stay on track with their goals. Learn more at focusonthispodcast.com/compass.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’re a high achiever, so you like to attempt big things. The problem is that things don’t always turn out the way you planned. That feels lousy. It makes you want to bury last week and just barrel ahead. There’s a better way. We’ve discovered a simple process for redeeming your regrets, big and small. Your mistakes and even failures don’t have to keep you stuck. You can learn from your mistakes and emerge even stronger by asking yourself four simple questions. When you do, you’ll no longer feel ashamed of the past or afraid of the future. You’ll gain the insight and confidence you need to make positive changes and achieve better results in the future.In this episode you will— Find out the two most common ways to deal with failure, and why they’re wrong. Learn how to decouple failure from your sense of identity. See why examining failure openly is essential for future growth. Get a bonus question that will supercharge your sense of ownership. Discover a simple trick for making it easier (and healthier) to look at your mistakes. Identify the critical question for turning goal failure into achievement gold. This episode of Focus on This is brought to you by the Original, Classic, Executive, and Bold Full Focus Planners. Learn more at focusonthispodcast.com/planner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your lifestyle goals are important to you. Health and fitness, daily rituals, reading, relationships: these are the things you want to act on every single day. But life is busy! None of these goals takes a ton of time, but they’re still hard to squeeze in. Before long, they can easily drift away. It’s deflating to look back and realize you’ve made no progress on lifestyle goals. We can help. We’ve got a simple tool that will keep your habit goals visible and keep you motivated to stick with them. Start using a streak tracker, and your progress will come almost automatically. You’ll never again wonder if you have the discipline to change your life. You’ll do it! In this episode you will— Find out how to stay on top of habit goals until they are installed. Discover the simple mindset shift that will make habit goals easier. See how rewards can apply to habit goals, not just achievement goals. Learn a simple way to keep habit goals from becoming overlooked. Get tips for making a habit behavior satisfying, even when it’s difficult to do. Be fired up about starting (or getting back on track) with your habit goals! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You set a lot of goals, but when you look at your goal list, you want to yawn. Your goals are all good things, and you’d be glad to achieve them. But they’re kind of . . . boring. Boring goals make for a boring life, and you don’t want that. We’ll show you have to set goals that set your heart on fire, goals you’re dying to accomplish. How? By making them riskier. Test your goals for the 3 Factors of Goal Boredom, and you’ll never set a lackluster goal again. You’ll be excited and engaged with your goals all year long, and you’ll achieve things so good that it literally scares you to think about them. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN What makes a goal boring. The main reason you set boring goals. Why you shouldn’t set the same goal two years in a row. Why it’s good that you don’t know how you’ll achieve. Questions to help you evaluate whether your goal is risky. This episode of Focus on This is brought to you by the Original, Classic, Executive, and Bold Full Focus Planners. Start the new year off right with a planner to keep you focused. Learn more at www.focusonthispodcast.com/planner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So you’ve got this big goal that you’re really excited about. You’re dying to share it with the people around you. But when you do, it kind of backfires. Some people belittle your aspiration. Others seem to think you’re bragging. The whole experience is deflating. It makes you wonder if you should even try this goal. Yes, you should! And you can share it with people who will affirm and help you. We’ve discovered three foolproof principles for goal sharing. Follow them, and you’ll get rid of all the angst about sharing or not sharing your goals. You’ll find the people who can support you in reaching for your biggest aspirations, and you’ll achieve them!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a high achiever, you love reaching goals! But added on top of a busy life, goal achievement can seem a bit overwhelming. The Full Focus Planner puts it all into one handy system. Yet you may want a little help getting it up and running. We’ve got you covered! We’ve got a brand-new program called Compass: Your Full Focus Guide, and it’s exclusively for our Full Focus Planner users. Compass will give you the community support and motivation you need to fully implement the Full Focus System™ so you can hit every goal, every time. You’ll learn the one best way to set goals. And you’ll get coaching on goal achievement and the support of a community of high achievers just like you. Inside this episode, you’ll hear more about these amazing features: Live Weekly Preview Session, so you can add the power of accountability to get your Weekly Preview done every week. Live Monthly Masterclass Sessions where you can learn new skills and get your questions answered from Full Focus Coaches. Live Quarterly Preview Party, which is a live-stream event where we guide you through the Quarterly Preview with expert tips and giveaways. Online Portal to Log, Track, and Share Goals—so you’ll never lose visibility on your goals again. Success Community where you can engage with other users and spur each other on to achieve, supported by our Full Focus Team. Plus, additional exclusive events and resources for Compass members only. Once you’ve listened to this episode, here’s you next step. Head over to Compass and get started. This is the start of your best year ever!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a high achiever, you probably start every year with a solid list of goals. You’re focused, and you’re ready to achieve. But as time wears on, you realize you can’t keep every project moving at the same rate. By mid-year, you realize it’s too late to make progress on most of your goals. That’s frustrating! You might even wonder, Am I just trying to do too much? No, you’re not. You don’t have too many goals. And you do have the capacity to achieve them. Just not all at once. We’ve learned the foolproof way to achieve 10 to 12 goals nearly every single year. You do that by focusing on just two or three at any one time. When you do, you’ll plow through them faster than you thought possible.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

High achievers are usually hard chargers. That makes it difficult—even annoying—to slow down for reflection. Who has time? We know how you feel. That’s why we’ve developed a streamlined method for pausing your work just long enough to make the next phase more productive. It’s called a Quarterly Preview. This simple practice will uncomplicate your life. It is your opportunity to build momentum for the next three months. We’ve got four compelling reasons to give it a try.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Does it ever feel like you’re on a treadmill? One week ends, another begins. One quarter ends, another begins. You hit your goals this month. Yay! Now get back to work. It never ends. It’s enough to make you sick of the word goal. Goal achievement should not be that way. The last thing you should feel about setting a goal is dread. We’ve got a simple hack that will make you feel excited every time you set a goal. Do this one simple thing, and you’ll never again dread the start of the quarter. Here’s how to create a reward that will keep you motivated to achieve.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’ve set some great goals. They’re exciting and challenging. But that creates a lot of complexity. There so much to be done. Your project plan is solid, but it’s hard to find the time to make progress. The whole thing just seems overwhelming. Based on achieving lots of big goals, we’ve learned that complex detailed plans are not always helpful. You don’t need to plot the entire course. All you need is the next step. It’s time to stop thinking about “the plan” for your goal and just identify the next action. When you do, you’ll get unstuck instantly. The feeling of overwhelm will disappear, and you’ll start seeing daily progress on the things that matter most. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You have a lot of goals and projects in your portfolio. But to be honest, you have a hard time remembering what they are. Sometimes you hope nobody will remind you of them because you can’t really remember why you chose them in the first place. Why is it so hard to maintain your excitement about a goal all year long? Actually, it’s not! We’ve got a simple way to fuel your passion for goal achievement throughout the year. Do this one simple thing, and you’ll you’ll stop finding goals in June that you forgot about in January. You’ll maintain your excitement, keep your focus, and make progress on your goals all year long. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a high achiever, you love to get things done. But some goals just seem to float out there on the horizon. Some are just hard to start. There’s never a good time to begin. Others, you just can’t finish. Sure, you make progress. But it’s just hard to finish that last 10 percent. We’ve been there, and we know the solution. You need to make sure every goal has a time key. We’ll show you exactly why that matters so much—and how it will help you finish. Do this, and you’ll never have trouble getting started on a goal. You’ll always know exactly what your progress is. And, best of all, you’ll know when you’re done!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You want to win at work and succeed at life. But it turns out that changing your life can be a lot harder than achieving goals. You might be able to crank out the work, but going to the gym consistently, or forcing yourself to adopt a morning ritual, or quitting work every day at 5:00 just takes too much will power! Here’s the thing. Achieving lifestyle goals is not much different than hitting your goals at work. Both goals use the SMARTER framework. But there are certain adjustments you need to make for a habit goal. Your problem isn’t will power. It’s probably that you haven’t created a solid habit goal. And we can show you how. Start tweaking these three elements of your habit goals, and you’ll crush them every time. You’ll no longer feel stuck in your personal habits. And you’ll make the positive changes that help you win in life as well as at work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Did you ever notice that the harder you push at work, the more out of whack things seem to get at home? Your relationships begin to suffer. You neglect sleep and exercise. Your family starts to complain that “you’re never here.” Shouldn’t it be possible to win at work and succeed at life? Actually, it is. We’ll show you how to bring balance to your life by giving attention to each of the 10 life domains—not just your work. When you do this, you’ll begin to feel better right away. And you won’t see any real loss of productivity. In fact, you’ll probably be more productive than ever before.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a high achiever, you love to set big goals. You thrive on strategic planning sessions because it’s a time to dream big. But daily life is just not conducive to goal achievement. You’re pretty organized, but major goals and projects come on top of your “real job.” It’s hard to make progress on the big things when you’ve got so much other work to do. Good news: there is one thing that makes you much more likely to achieve your goals. It’s called goal visibility. You’re going to make progress at anything you see or touch every day. So the key is to create consistent points of contact with your most important goals. And we can show you how to do that with three levels of goal review.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We know you want to get stuff done. So you sit down to make some calls, or empty your inbox, or write a report. But before you know it, you’re answering Slack messages and scrolling Instagram. What just happened? What happened is that you fell into the Palo Alto honey trap. Computer software is specifically designed to grab your attention and hold it. Forever. But we’ve got a secret weapon. It’s one of the oldest technologies on the planet, and it still works as well as it ever did. It’s called paper! When you start using this time-tested tech to manage your day, you’ll get your brain back. It’ll strengthen your focus muscle,and you’ll finally start getting the right stuff done.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes it feels like the world is divided into two types of people: super-successful over-achievers, and the rest of us. Why does it seem that other people always get the promotion or double their income or start a new career? You do have what it takes to be successful. But it’s possible you’re being held back by limiting beliefs. When you identify your limiting beliefs and exchange them for liberating truths, your outlook will change overnight. In this episode, you’ll learn the three most common types of limiting beliefs—and how to overcome them.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You want to achieve big goals. But always seem to get lost in the shuffle of daily life. By the end of the year, most of them are probably still way out of reach. It can be so discouraging. The problem isn’t you. It’s your goals. Even a good goal can be structured in the wrong way, making it nearly impossible to achieve. But we can fix that for you! You need SMARTER™ goals. This time-tested framework sets up a game you can win. When you start using this method for goal setting, they’ll practically achieve themselves. You’ll end every quarter amazed at your progress, and the year will end with a celebration.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I know you guys. You’re high achievers. You want to get stuff done. Achieve goals. And celebrate the wins! To do that, you have downloaded every productivity app ever made. You listened to Michael Hyatt’s tech episode and you’ve got Fantastical running on top of iCal and pulling data from your six Google calendars. You’re wired in with Asana or Basecamp or Nozbe so no task, no matter how small, ever gets missed. You’ve got your master project list in Evernote, hyperlinked to your project plan in Excel. Every project has a completion plan. Every plan has a task list. Every task has a due date. And they all cross linked. You’re wired, Baby!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You really want to love your job. But it can be overwhelming! Work starts coming at you even before you’re in the building by emails and texts. It’s exhausting. There’s got to be a better way to start the week. Here’s help. We’ve got a proven, easy-to-use method for taking control of your week before it starts. Try the Weekly Preview, and you’ll finally quit dreading Mondays! You’ll enter each week freeling relaxed and in control—and you’ll get more done. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

High achievers thrive on setting big goals. The problem is that we create complexity for ourselves, which virtually guarantees getting bogged down. We may achieve one goal but miss ten. It’s discouraging. The problem is that you’re trying to do too much too fast. In this episode, we’ll show you how to narrow your focus to just two or three goals per quarter. When you do, you’ll go from achieving just one or two goals a year, to nailing nearly all of them most of the time. Finally, you can start celebrating wins almost every month. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You want to be a high achiever, but sometimes you feel more like a plate spinner. Between your goal sheet, project management app, daily to-do list, and calendar, you’re managing a lot of details. It’s overwhelming, and something inevitably hits the floor. We’ve got the answer. What you need is not one more app to throw in the mix. You need a system that binds all these elements of productivity together. We call it the Goal Achievement Formula. Try this, and you’ll finally stop feeling like a juggler at work. All of your projects, goals, and tasks will be in alignment. And? You’ll get more done than ever before. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everybody has big projects or goals they’d like to achieve. The problem is that our “real work” keeps us from making progress on our goals. It’s frustrating to watch your goals slip away, or get sidelined for another year. But that can change! We’ve got a simple hack that will ensure you make progress on your goals every single week. And it really works! It’s time to trade your frustration for achievement. You’ll make huge progress on your goals and end every week feeling on top of your game. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’re a high achiever, which means you want to get things done! The problem is that no matter how many apps, hacks, and time-management systems you try, you still get caught up in the whirlwind of the modern workplace. It leaves you feeling that something’s wrong with—or missing from—what you’re doing. There is! And we know what it is. You don’t need a new system, hack, or app to make you more productive. You need to change the way you think about productivity and achievement. When you adopt the Full Focus mindset, you’ll instantly go from feeling scattered and overworked to feeling calm, focused, and in control. You’ll escape that feeling that “something’s missing” from your approach to work, and you’ll start to experience a greater level of productivity than you ever thought possible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everyone wants to be productive at work. But there is just too much to do! Your to-do list grows throughout the day, and you never get finished—no matter how long you work. It’s exhausting. But we’ve got the answer. By narrowing your to-do list, you’ll actually achieve more by doing less. As a result, you’ll escape the sick feeling of always being behind, and you’ll get your most important work done every day. This one change will transform your days from out of control to perfectly focused. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Start loving Mondays! Each week on Focus on This, Courtney Baker and Blake Stratton give you practical tips and proven strategies for increasing your focus so you can be more productive than ever before. They also speak with guests and listeners who share tips to help you make the most out of every day. The show launches Monday, September 9th! Make sure you subscribe now and then join us next Monday! (Until then, you can listen to Lead to Win at http://www.leadto.win. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.