Struggling to focus? Here's why...

If you're struggling to focus, here’s why: you’re simply avoiding an uncomfortable feeling.

Say you're feeling anxious about the proposal you're working on.

Your brain perceives this anxiety as danger and so cleverly distracts you from it.

This is great news (in one way).

Because it means your brain is working just fine, since its job is to keep you safe.

It's just not always that helpful when it’s now 5pm and you’ve only written two sentences of that proposal.

The thing is, that anxiety you're feeling isn't coming from the proposal itself, but from the story your brain has attached to the proposal.

Like thinking the client is going to judge your work and give you feedback you don't like.

So your brain gets to work to prevent any judgement from happening by distracting you from the proposal.

Maybe it offers you new thoughts like “just have a quick look at the news, then you can properly start on the proposal” or “just another coffee.”

Because if you don’t finish the proposal, your work can’t be judged.

It’s a win for your scared brain.

Just not for you when you cancel plans with friends to get it finished.

If you find yourself struggling to focus, try this:

Instead of letting yourself be distracted with social media or another coffee, pause and tune in to the feeling you’re trying to avoid
Sit with it and it’ll soon pass
Go back to whatever you were doing

This is why time tools don’t work without the mindset tools that underpin them.

You can have the most thorough plan for what you want to get done and a calendar full of time blocks, yet if you’re avoiding an uncomfortable feeling (caused by a story in your brain), you'll always spend more time on the proposal than planned.

With coaching we unpick all these stories keeping you from focusing and getting what you want to do, done.

All these beliefs that are holding you back from taking action and creating what’s possible for you in this one life (we know of!).

Once you see exactly why you’re not focusing and not taking action, it’s simple to change it.

Imagine what your life would be like if you no longer avoided doing things that were important.

You’d stop logging back on after dinner to finish what you didn’t get done that day. You’d stop canceling plans with friends to work instead. You’d stop rushing to get proposals finished right up to deadlines.

Instead you’d get everything done ahead of time. With calm and ease. You’d have evenings to connect with family or friends, cook a new recipe, read a book, go for walks.

Your weekends would be work-free, filled with lazy brunches and training for that half marathon you’ve always wanted to do (but keep putting off).

And you’d finally get started on more of those “someday maybe” dreams, like writing a book.

Because you’re now the person who no longer avoids taking action.

You have the same brain as you go about your day.

So when you master the skill of focusing and taking action at work, this applies to the rest of your life, too.

Life’s too short to keep avoiding what’s important.

So be onto your brain when it wants to distract you.

Then get back to doing what matters most in your life.