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By Phil, January 25, 2010 6:17 pm

Reading time: 3 minutes and 15 seconds

Two powerful ways to boost your focus and improve productivity every day – click here to subscribe and never miss another post

Find your focus - picture: Sergi's Blog

“Its such a perfect day – I wish I spent it with you” – Lou Reed, Perfect Day

Imagine a perfect day of focus.  From the minute you open your eyes, you are energised, in the zone and ready to go.  Throughout the day, you effortlessly work through your top priorities and get them done.  You deflect the interruptions with grace and constructively deal with the challenges that arise.  As you wind down at the end of the day, you feel fulfilled, content and satisfied.  This may sound unrealistic, unobtainable and a little bit crazy, however why not try to get as close as possible to this?

I’ve struggled with finding focus on a daily basis.  I’m a well known procrastinator, particularly when it comes to doing the most important (and for that read scary) things.  Yet recently I’ve found two really powerful techniques that have helped me immensely to move closer to having the perfect day, and here they are:

1. Plan out your day in scrupulous detail

One problem I had with being focussed and effective each day was that I didn’t even know what focus looked like.  To change this, I have taken to setting aside time each morning to create an incredibly detailed plan of attack for the day.  Starting with my prioritized to-do list (I’ll share how to create this later in the week), I work out the key priorities for the day – this includes things from work, my personal life and also how I’m going to take care of myself.  I use my calendar to see how much time I have available to make sure that this is realistic.  I then create an incredibly detailed programme for the day ahead with a blow by blow account of EXACTLY what order I will do everything and the timing for this.  For example today’s schedule looks like this:

8.30am Meditate

8.45am – Send key emails (and I have a list of exactly which ones)

9.15am – Clear out email accounts

10.00am – Go to Coffee Shop – Write four blog posts

12.30pm – Return home

12.45pm – Run – 4 miles tempo run

1.15pm – Post run stretching, shower

1.40pm – Lunch – spaghetti bolognese

2.00pm – Put postings on Linked In

2.30pm – Business Telephone calls (again I have a list of which ones)

3.30pm – Design ideal client experience

5.30pm – Scheduled business call

6.00pm – Do Crossword and relax

6.30pm – Send out personal emails

7.00pm – Cook supper, relax and read

Anyone who knows me will realise that this is the antithesis of my laid back personality.  Yet the remarkable thing is that it is 11.38am and I’m in the coffee shop finishing my second blog post of the day.

I’ve found that knowing what you want to achieve creates a real sense of focus and even if you follow the plan with 80% success, those days feel remarkably productive.  Mapping out your perfect day in obsessive detail is no guarantee of success every time, yet it gets you focused on what is most important and helps to reduce the draw of distractions during the day.  It is easier to get back on track and know what to revert to if you are thrown a curve-ball.

2. Act like you are being audited

This powerful technique came from the Change your Thoughts blog.  The key here is to act as if your actions are being audited each day.  Imagine that at the end of each day you have to justify what you did to a super critical auditor who will make you account for every second.  How easily could you justify what you did today?

To put this technique into practice, start out by “meeting the auditor” twice a day for a week – at lunchtime and at the end of the day.  Each time you meet, you need to justify your time since the last meeting – explain what you have done and what makes that important and useful.  You also have to explain your less productive time – that half hour on Facebook, the twenty minutes in the bathroom, the 3 hours watching TV.  Remember the auditor is not there to judge, only to listen and record.

The objective of this process is not to beat ourselves up, or to take all the fun out of life, it is simply to find focus.  One of my primary values is to take better care of myself and develop inner peace and happiness.  For me, finding time to meditate, run, read and simply relax and get quality time is justified and I can look the auditor in the eye with good conscience.   However, if I goofed out on the important deadline that I had and didn’t make an important call to go running, that is harder to justify.

Over time, your inner auditor will become internalised.  You’ll feel them looking over your shoulder as you start your game of Tetris and go back to finishing your spreadsheet.  It will become easier and easier to justify your time at the meetings as you find your focus improving.

So the perfect day may not happen every day, however using these techniques you can get closer to a focused and effective day to day existence.  As with all personal change some days will be better than others and you’ll need to be kind to yourself when the less good days come along.  However with persistence and patience you’ll find the Perfect Day may just be possible.  Let me know how your perfect day is, by commenting.

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By Phil, January 15, 2010 12:19 pm

Reading time: 2 minutes 48 seconds

The next in the series on finding your focus – click here to subscribe and never miss another post.

Oprah Winfrey is one of most focussed people on plant.  From humble origins she has built a one woman media machine.  Over the last 25 years she has logged over 4,000 hours of the Oprah Show, speaking to audiences in over 100 countries.  Her empire includes a magazine, book club and one of the world’s most popular websites.  Oprah is the only person to have appeared on every Time Magazine list of the 100 most influential people in the world every year since its inception.  When Oprah speaks, the world listens.

So how does Oprah stay so focussed.  Here are 4 of her secrets:

1) Be Authentic – Find your Vocation

“The Biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams”

Oprah walks her truth.  Her personal drive comes from the feeling that she was put on earth for a purpose.  We all have a unique set of skills, strengths and abilities and personal values to serve.  Finding a vocation – what you were put on earth to do – creates massive personal focus.  Think about what you were put on earth to do – it needn’t be as grand an ambition as Oprah, Gandhi or Martin Luther King – perhaps it is to be a great parent, to care for others in your community, or to design a new technology to help mankind.  If you can find your purpose, you’ll feel the urge to use every second on earth to achieve this.

2) Work Smarter – be more effective than everyone else

“The Big Secret in life is there is no Big Secret.  Whatever your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work”

Oprah is renowned as one of the hardest working people on the planet – she never stops.  Yet her secret is that she has learned to work effectively – to put her energy and attention into the most important activities and let the less important things go.  Learning to work smarter is a key way to find more personal focus – it will free up energy and help you feel more fulfilled.  Later in this series, I’ll share some key ideas on how to work smarter and be more effective.

3) Never give up – don’t let them drag you down

“We are each responsible for our own lives – no other person is or even can be”

Oprah could have given up before she even started.  What are the odds of a girl born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage mother becoming one of the most influential people on the planet.  Early in her career many media insiders were scathing of her rise, Time Magazine writing “In a field dominated by white males, she is a black female of ample bulk. As interviewers go, she is no match for, say, Phil Donahue.”  Her secret is the ability to live in the moment and to face triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters the same.  Oprah doesn’t’ operate in a rose-tinted wonderland where everything is wonderful.  She takes a realistic, pragmatic approach to success and failure.  She looks for the learning in every success – how to be better next time.   Think about how you can cultivate a realistic determination to achieve your vocation.

4) Help others – Follow a Higher Calling

“What I know for sure is that what you give comes back to you”

Oprah is a woman on a mission.  Everything she does is designed to help other people to make the most of their lives.  By putting the welfare of others above that of herself, she has selected a motivation beyond serving her own ego and needs.  Finding a motivation that goes beyond ourself is powerful way to increase our focus.  When others are depending on our actions, it is harder to find an excuse or wimp out of helping.  To increase your focus, consider the motivation behind your actions and look for opportunities to serve the greater good where possible.

Of course, there is only one Oprah.  Finding your focus is a very personal process, yet we can learn from her example.  One way to this is to try modelling Oprah.  Pick a day, think about the focus needed to achieve what she has and then try being her for the day.  Concentrate on acting authentically, being as effective and focussed on your priorities as possible, being indomitable and genuinely helping others.  What did it feel like to be Oprah for the day?  Please leave a comment and let everyone in the Less Ordinary community know.

Comments (6)

By Phil, January 6, 2010 11:36 am

Reading time: Under 2 minutes

2010 is here, the first year of a new decade.  This decade is so new that it doesn’t even have a nickname yet.  For me, this symbolic change brings with it a combination of emotions – excitement at the possibilities ahead, trepidation at some of the complex challenges out there, but most of all hope for the amazing possibilities in the future.

At Less Ordinary Living, the vision is to help you live your life to the full.  I believe that everyone has vast potential to make a difference.  This year my goal is to be a catalyst to help you make the most of your potential and fulfil your ambitions.  With dedication and support, everything is possible and it would be an honour to be part of your support system this year.

The plan this year is to cover key topics to help you grow and develop each month.  The theme for January is Finding Focus in 2010.  Our worlds are becoming so complex and full of distraction that it can be a real challenge simply to stay focused on what is really important.  Over the next month, I’ll cover some key techniques and ideas for developing an inner sense of calm, taking control of your time and increasing your personal effectiveness.

If you think that this would be helpful for you, please do subscribe by clicking here to make sure you don’t miss any of the series.

Beyond January, we’d like your help to shape the future direction of Less Ordinary Living.  Please leave a comment or email me at phil@lessordinaryliving.com to share:

What are your goals and plans for this year?

What are the biggest challenges you face?

What are you excited about?

What are you afraid of?

How can we best support you in fulfilling your potential in 2010?

I look forward to hearing from you and sincerely wish you a very Happy New Year.

Phil

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By Phil, December 8, 2009 9:15 am

Reading time: 2 minutes 3 seconds – Enjoying Christmas – Priceless

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but it’s two weeks until Christmas (gulp). The season of joy, happiness, family and celebration is well and truly upon us.  However the nonstop whirl of eating, drinking and being merry, combined with the organisation needed means that this can be a very stressful time of year.   To avoid weeping over the turkey or chasing granny with the carving knife, I’ve compiled four ideas to make this a Less Ordinary season.

1. Pay Yourself First – at this time of year we can be constantly on the run.  Often we don’t stop until early January.  This year, make the resolution to look after yourself a little better.  Try setting aside 10 minutes each day for some “me time” – it’s not really a lot to ask for.  Look for a way to get a little exercise, even if it is walking to the shops to keep mind and body together.  In short, do a little of what you like every day.  We can lose ourselves at this time of year – Pay yourself first and you can give more to others.

2. Be Generous – the Holiday spirit is about the fellowship of all humanity.  Be thoughtful and generous in giving your time and treasure.  A great way to really appreciate Christmas is to volunteer some time to a charity, and even get your family or loved ones involved.  Giving with no expectation of return brings joy to the world and a great sense of peace and satisfaction.

3. Count your Blessings – chances are you’ll be enjoying the Holidays with a roof over your head, heating, a good meal and the company of others.  Being grateful for what we have at this time of year puts our life in perspective.  Try to spend a minute every day (it could be whilst you’re commuting, on the escalator, even waiting in a queue at the supermarket) to reflect on how blessed your life is and to offer gratitude for this.

4. Slow Down – this time of year is typically lived at 100 miles per hour.  We run from pillar to post with no time to stop.  When life is lived at this speed it is all too easy to lose track of the bigger picture and get bound up in the hysteria.  To stay in control, try slowing everything down by half a beat.  Walk a little slower, take an extra half a second to think before you speak, stop and take a deep breath and appreciate the world around you.  By setting an intention to slow down, you’ll live in the moment more of the time, rather than having your mind wrapped up in the next event.  Slow down and really enjoy the Holidays.

What are your secrets to making the most of this wonderful time of year? – please do leave a comment or your thoughts on this article.  And if you enjoyed the article, please subscribe to make our dream of having 100 subscribers for Christmas come true by clicking here.

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By Phil, November 26, 2009 1:19 pm

Reading Time: 1 minute and 47 seconds

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States.  This is a day devoted to gratitude.  Thanksgiving’s origins are from the original settlers setting aside time to be thankful for the harvest and having food to survive the harsh winter.  In the modern world, it has become a time to be with the people we love and to be grateful for all we have in our lives.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to share an amazing story of one man’s experience of struggle and gratitude.

In 1983, Rom Houben was driving home when his car was caught up in a huge accident.  He nearly died that day, yet somehow he survived in a coma.  Doctors ran every test they knew and found no response to any stimulus – Rom was diagnosed in a total vegetative state, and for 23 years he remained in hospital, motionless.

In 2006, Dr. Steven Laureys, an experimental neurobiologist was working on a project to better understand long-term coma patients.  Laureys decided to run new tests on patients to monitor their brain activity.  When Laureys ran his tests on Rom, he saw something remarkable – normal, healthy brain activity.  Everyone had assumed that because Rom’s body had stopped moving, his brain had shut down too.  Laureys realised that inside his still body, Rom’s brain was very much alive.

For 23 years, Rom was a prisoner in his own body.  He could see everything that was going on, hear the conversations of the nurses, smell the food on the next patients table and do nothing.  Rom heard about the death of his father from his distraught mother and was powerless to respond.

Laureys used intensive physiotherapy to help Rom break his silence using a voice machine operated by slight movements of one finger.  Rom was free.  So how does Rom explain his ordeal?

When the doctors first pronounced his coma, Rom “screamed, but there was nothing to hear”.  In the first few weeks and months, Rom felt “powerlessness. Utter powerlessness. At first I was angry, then I learned to live with it.”  Miraculously he learned to cope through intense periods of mediation, “I travelled with my thoughts into the past, or into another existence altogether”. Sometimes, “I was only my consciousness and nothing else”.

And after 23 years of being trapped, how did he feel when Laureys finally made his discovery?  “I’ll never forget the day that they discovered me,” he said. “It was my second birth”.  Rom had no anger or bitterness over his experience, only gratitude at a new chance at life.  His remarkable attitude shows the power of gratitude.  This story had helped me to reflect on my experience and feel immense gratitude for the countless blessings in my life.

Wherever you are in the world, I hope that you can take a moment today to think about your life and be grateful for your experience, and the world around you.  Happy Thanksgiving.