Your focus determines your reality

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

No matter how much enthusiasm we have for the goals, taking on even just two habits at once is setting ourselves up for failure, because greatly increases the difficulty of sticking to it.

Pick only one habit to change and devote all of your energy to that, and once it’s on autopilot, move on to the next one.

Start with the small tasks, the ones you can finish in 10 minutes and run through them first.

You’ll feel motivated by the win of knocking out a couple of tasks quickly and ready to handle more serious work.

If the Pomodoro Technique doesn't work for you and you prefer to do tasks from start to finish in one sitting, you should adjust your plan to fit with your focus.

So work until you complete those tasks, and then take a break.

Take a minute to think about what you always wanted to do, or what you’re doing now.  Ask yourself:

• What are your fears?
• What do you see as your weaknesses?
• What are your limitations?
• What’s holding you back?

Believe that your weaknesses can be turned into strengths. Always find your strengths, examine your weaknesses and how to turn them into an advantage by using your strengths or developing new ones to find ways around it.

If you focus on getting the small stuff done but not the big stuff, or switch between tasks all the time, you’ll be less effective.

Pick one important thing to focus on at a time and learn to evaluate what tasks and projects are of higher value to you.

It's best done by focusing on the smallest first step and practicing just launching into that.

Pick the tiniest first step, and launch into it.

• If you know you’re more likely to work from home, invest in comfortable furniture; you feel good it will inspire you to get work done.
• If you want to join a local co-working space but are intimidated by the price point, ask about smaller memberships to start.

Don’t let your skepticism about productivity hacks get in the way of finding a technique that suits you and helps you get things done.
If you’re still having a hard time identifying priorities, try working backward by identifying work that’s definitely not a priority. Eliminate those items and assess what’s left.

Putting things away creates the illusion that the clutter problem has been solved.

Organizing all your junk better does not equal getting rid of clutter. And unfortunately most people leap at storage methods that promise quick and convenient ways to remove visible clutter.

For example, set goals like “clothes today, books tomorrow.” 

We often store the same type of item in more than one place and when we tidy each place separately, we fail to see that we’re repeating the same work in many locations. 

These are some of the best indicators of people who lead happy lives. Happy people feel empowered, in control of their lives, and have a positive outlook on life. 

Action steps: Get into the habit of squashing all negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones.

People find greatest enjoyment not when they’re passively mindless, but when they’re absorbed in a mindful challenge. This is flow, when we're so immersed in our task that we lose track of time. 

Action steps: Find work  and hobbies that you’re passionate about and that fully engage you.

A few pointers to help you get clarity in life:

• Create some space, carving out a few hours or a weekend when unclear about something.
• Write daily, giving yourself an outlet, and a space to reflect.
• Talk to others, sharing your thoughts and feelings.
• Write down your experiences and insights.
• Take action first, and get clarity. Reflect on your actions and get further clarity.