60-Second Mind Shift: The Power of Focus - Achieving Big Goals by Prioritizing One Thing
Supporting you to free your mind so you can live from your heart!
“The truth is that as a woman's real power grows and her knowledge widens, ever the way she can follow grows narrower: until at last she chooses nothing but does only and wholly what she must do.”
- Ursula K. LeGuin
The Power of Focus: Achieving Big Goals by Prioritizing One Thing
There are countless messages out there encouraging us to dream big, crush life to the max, to pursue major goals, and to create a life that’s full, impactful, and meaningful.
What’s discussed less often is the paradoxical truth of how a big, impactful life is often achieved: by mastering the skill of narrowing your focus to the one thing. This requires being willing to identify what that one thing is for you—because there’s usually one area of focus that, when prioritized, supports the success of all your other goals.
Let me share an example from my own life: several years ago, when I was starting my coaching business, I was juggling multiple pursuits. I was working on a music project, practicing as a healer and aromatherapist, and working a part-time job—all while trying to build my coaching business. My energy was scattered in too many directions.
I realized that in order to create a successful and impactful coaching business (which I saw as my most important life intention), I had to narrow my focus almost entirely on creating and serving my first coaching client. Then my second. And my third.
Instead of trying to “build my business” in an abstract sense, I focused on the specific actions of coaching and being coached. To create my first client, I reached out to my network, shared what I was up to, and offered to help. At first, I was willing to coach pro bono or at very low rates to quiet my brain that kept telling me I wasn’t ready, that I didn’t know enough—but the truth was, I did know enough. My brain was trying to protect me.
If you have been reading my writing for any length of time you will see that I write about this protective part of the brain quite a bit. I refer to it as Monkey Mind or negativity bias mostly. This is the part of your brain that will try to distract you with all sorts of thoughts to keep you away from seeing and focusing on the one thing.
For someone who’s always identified as multi-passionate, narrowing my focus felt uncomfortable at first. But it worked. That uncomfortable focus created the incredible clients, business, and life I love today.
After a few years, once my coaching business was humming along, I chose to expand my focus and return to music.
As we enter this new year, I invite you to reflect: What are you willing to pull your focus from so you can increase your focus on the one thing that matters most?
I Affirm: Today, I see and acknowledge my one thing. I take the first small, meaningful step toward it.
Step By Step,
Jessie
