Time to Focus on Yourself

Sometimes it can be hard to find a focus, especially when it involves ourselves. There are so many things that can be demanding on us each and every day. When we finally get around to some time to ourselves it can be hard to even know where to start. If it's been a while since you've had some alone time to think about what you want, here are some ideas I think may help. All you need is 5-10 minutes and a pen and paper.

• Write down all the things you'd like to do if nothing got in your way. (4 minutes)
• Circle your top three. (1 minute)
• Next write down one small action step you can take related to each item. (3 minutes)
• Include these 3 steps in your next week's to-do list by scheduling a time to complete them on your calendar. (2 minutes)
• Repeat this next week by adding an additional small step to focus on.

If three things seems like too much, drop it to two or one. The idea is to keep focused and not to get overwhelmed. If you break goals down into smaller tasks it will be more manageable and you'll be more likely to achieve what you want to do.

Example:
If I had all the time in the world I'd....

1. Redecorate the bathroom
2. Make a crafty gift for my niece's 3rd Birthday
3. Write a novel

Small Action Steps for this week:
This week I'm going to....

1. Look for 10-15 minutes online at pictures of Bathrooms to get ideas about what I like.
2. Go through a pile of old paper dolls I have and evaluate their condition for a craft project.
3. Think about what I would like to write about on the treadmill or drive to work instead of listening to the radio.