Ever feel like you just can’t get anything done? Like you’re working so hard but have nothing to show for it? That you just can’t seem to focus on the task at hand because you’re so distracted by so many other things you need to do or want to do?
I get it! It’s so easy to feel like you have 468 projects and to-do’s and goals you really should be working on.
You read a post and you feel like you must do this. Then, you listen to a podcast and it says you have to do that. Later on, you watch a webinar and you realize you aren’t doing yet another thing you really should be doing.
It can become overwhelming and exhausting to try to keep up with all the things you are told you must. do. NOW.
The truth is: It’s not possible to overhaul your blog or your business (or your life!) overnight. Oh you can try, but you’ll quickly crash and burn.
Instead of attempting to change everything all at once, I want to challenge you to focus and finish. These words have become my mantra in recent months.
I’m so prone to want to start so many different projects. I have great intentions. I have big ideas. And I never lack for ambition.
But when you start 468 different projects, no matter how much ambition you have, that’s just too many projects. Which means that a lot of things don’t get done.
This year, I’ve made it my goal to just focus on one project at a time and to complete that project before moving on to something else. It feels like I’m doing a lot less — because I only have a few “irons in the fire”.
Guess what?? I’ve realized that even though it feels like I’m doing less, I’m actually accomplishing much more than I ever have because I’m following things through to the finish line.
If you struggle to get things done and to stay on track, here’s some practical encouragement for how to apply this Focus and Finish mantra in your own life:
#1. Pick One Area of Learning to Focus On
Decide to focus on one area of learning/growth — and one area only — for the next two to three months. This could be becoming proficient on Instagram Stories or it could be learning how to podcast or it could be figuring out how to set up your blog or how to write effective posts or how to improve your search engine optimization of your site.
Yes, you’ll have other basic daily tasks and responsibilities you need to complete, too (see point #2 below), but focus on this one particular area that you want to see a significant change in, one area of your business that you want to grow, or one part of your blogging that you want to improve in.
Not sure what one thing you should choose to focus on? I recommend picking the one that you think will make the biggest difference overall. Once you’ve decided on your one goal that you will focus on, be sure to set a concrete time frame for that goal.
Start with a time frame that feels manageable. This will look different for everyone, but I’d suggest choosing two to three months. It’s long enough to make some real headway, but it’s also short enough that you will be able to stick to it without falling off the bandwagon.
As you come across other areas you want to explore, experiment with, or improve in, keep a running list of those. But don’t start on any of those until you’ve completed your two to three months on your pre-decided focus area and feel like you’ve made some progress there.
This way, you’re not just dabbling in a lot of new ideas; you’re actually becoming proficient in new things and it’s significantly impacting your business!
#2. Pick One Task to Focus On
Start every week by picking one short-term task or project to focus on for the week. It could be a blog series you’re going to write, an ebook you’re planning to finish, a printable you need to design, a guest post you want to write for another blog, or another similar project.
If possible, choose something you can finish in one week’s time. If it’s a larger project such as writing an ebook, break the project down into a weekly goal that can be accomplished in 7 days (i.e. finishing two
chapters of the ebook).
I know that feels small to only choose one task. I know it seems like it will never get you anywhere. But it will help you have laser-sharp focus, it will give you clear direction for the week, and it will likely guarantee that you actually FINISH things.
It’s so much better to actually finish a few tasks than to start two dozen new ideas every week and never get anything truly accomplished. Because we all know that the most amazing ideas aren’t good for anything if you never actually follow through with them.
Want some accountability? Leave a comment telling us what you’re committing to focus on right now!
This is such great advice! I remember you talking about this on an Instastory a while back and I remember exactly what I was doing. I was pulling into the Hobby Lobby parking lot, and was so captivated by what you said. I sat in my van, watching your story over and over, and took notes before going inside. Since then, I’ve worked on practicing Focus and Finish and I’ve been amazed by how much more I’m actually accomplishing.
My list is still long, but since it’s all written out, I won’t forget all the things I need to get done, and I can focus instead on just 1 or 2 tasks at a time.
Next week, I’ll work on a Start Here page for my blog, which I’ve planned to tackle since spring. I’m really excited to get this done.
Thank you for sharing your practical tips. I so love this topic!
Oh wow! Thank you so much for your encouragement! I’m so grateful that this concept resonated with you like it did!
And here’s to you getting your Start Here page done this coming week! You can do it!
I love your blog even though I’m all thumbs!
Crystal, thank you for this! I am coming off of one of the busiest weeks I’ve had in a long time, with kids starting school and two major writing/editing projects to complete. Although ideally, I would have started them earlier, I focused on one at a time and finished both (one just in the nick of time).
I, too, am prone to move in a lot of directions, starting a bunch of different things, but finishing few, if any! Reading this gave me a little anxiety, to be honest, because the idea of focusing on one task or area of learning at a time seems so limiting. At the same time, I am excited to think that, in doing so, I might accomplish something this next week and master something essential to my professional growth by the end of the year. So, thanks again for the great advice. Now I just have to decide what to focus on. ?
I’m so glad that it inspired you!!
I love this advice, Crystal. I’ve decided to just focus on Pinterest and my latest project (an advent devotional for moms to be released late Oct, early Nov). This gives me a lot of freedom to let everything else go and git ‘er done! ?
Excited to promote your webinar and new course! 🙂
Yay! Those sounds like great things to focus on!
And thank you so much for promoting the webinar and course! I’m REALLY excited about it!
OK. So it seems like everything I’ve been trying to work on, you always have an email for it. I usually open your emails and read them and the links you send out on the weekends (while the kids are still asleep) and always find them to be topics that I’m struggling with at that very moment. I usually mean to comment sometimes but get busy and forget. But it’s like answers to things I’ve been praying and seeking help about – for that I want to thank you. I was just here trying to figure out how to work on Instagram and I’m also working on a bunch of other projects and really getting no-where. Your topic hit the nail on the head and I want to implement these tips.
Aw, thank you so much for taking the time to share this! It really made my day! I’m SO grateful that the emails and links are an encouragement to you!
Crystal, I love this “Focus and Finish” idea and it’s exactly what I need to implement in my own life and business. My family and I recently moved to a new city and state and I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed by all I need to do to get my music business launched here (it was much more established in my old town). I’ve got a baby on the way in two months, so that seems like a good time frame to pick one aspect of the business to FOCUS on for now. Thanks for your insight with this article!
I’m so grateful that this article inspired you! Thank you for taking the time to share!
Great timing, as usual. Your advice frequently lands in my inbox just when I need to read it.
Friday was one of those overwhelmed-feeling days, and it was precisely because I wasn’t focusing on one major project.
I’m so glad that this post encouraged you! And thank you for taking the time to share!
This is such a great post Chrystal! The need to know it all and do it all, all the time, is what gets many bloggers burnt out before they ever get anywhere. I personally have lists of tasks that I need to do, but focusing on so many things a day, I’m constantly moving certain things to the back burner thinking I’ll work on them later. I need to take those tasks that are constantly being bumped to tomorrow or next week and set aside time to focus solely on them, one at a time. Here’s to getting my opt in done (2 1/2 years into my blog!) 🙂
Yay! You can TOTALLY get your opt-in done. I believe in you! And I’d love for you to come back here and report when it’s done!
The last few weeks I have been trying to get specific about this theme of focusing on one thing at a time. I enjoy learning, but it takes time to really learn something new. So I am trying out Google Schedule for my blog/ homeschool day for the next two weeks. And then ill reevaluate. I want to write 2 posts this week – finish a guest post and write one for my blog. The following week I want to start focusing on Pinterest program I purchased.
You can do it! Thanks so much for sharing your goals!
Wow, you are so spot on to my life, every time I open one your emails or check your instagram it is always something I am struggling with. Just today I was trying to figure out why I seem to never be able to follow through with things and this post gave me a lot to think about. I think I am trying to do to many things and not focusing on any of them. Thank you so much for your posts, they mean so much to me!
I’m SO grateful that this post inspired you!
Great advice. It is so easy to become overwhelmed as writers with all we need to do. Sounds like this would work in other areas of life, too.
Yes! It can definitely apply to other areas, too!
Great reminders! I tend to get sooo distracted and have so many things going on at the same time. And never finish any! Focus and Finish. Focus and Finish!
I so hear you!
Well timed! I’ve been delaying reading the email with this tip! Right around the time when I decide to zone in on 1 project (forming a blog) and I ended my Etsy endeavor and fb business page. I’ve been trying to balance way too many things and now I read this!
The time for pairing down and prioritizing for me is now! Thank you
You’re so welcome! I’m glad it was good timing for you!
Crystal, thank you for the words that I needed to hear. As a new blogger, I am trying to learn so much and sometimes the overwhelm of learning so many new things stops me in my tracks. I need to definitely concentrate on focusing and finishing.
This week I need to focus and finish on writing at least three blog posts. I have been falling behind on posting because I am getting caught up trying to learn so many other things related to blogging. However, I need to step back and regroup.
Thanks again for your encouraging words!
You are so welcome! I’m grateful that it encouraged you!
I have recently started blogging, thanks to your Blogging University! I have so much I want to do. I have also started my first book and am working on it a little each day. But I am finding it challenging to focus on my blog and my book at the same time. Thank you for this post. I plan on focusing on learning about Pinterest group boards this week. Here is my first post:
http://transformedforhisglory.com/2017/08/19/about-me/
YAY! I’m so proud of you!!
Hi Crystal! You don’t know how many people you inspire through your blog and I am one of them. You are one of the best bloggers I look up to! Keep inspiring us! 🙂
Aw, thank you so much for your sweet encouragement! It blesses me!
Wow. I almost didn’t click the link to read the post, but I am glad I did. This so resonates with me. I am trying to set up a blog, write a book, help my son work through the paperwork to turn our hobby farm into a business, set up a trust, homeschool, work my full time job, take care of my health, and just breathe. I recently did a brain dump/mind map to see what had me so stressed out, and I couldn’t even see patterns in the map. I even signed up for your Blogging 101, but haven’t had a chance to look at it.
Your post reaffirms my decision to redo my mind map as circles and just focus on one thing at a time, instead of trying to be all and do all.
I’m so glad that this post encouraged you!
Hi Thank you so much for the Focus and Finish concept. I am a newbie and about to launch my blog. So this is invaluable advice. I feel as if there are a million things to learn and not enough time to do it all. Definitely intend to use this idea to speed up the launch of my blog.
I’m so glad that it encouraged you! Yay!!
I loved your post when you first wrote it, and am still thinking on your mantra. I just included it and a link to this post in my new blog post. Thanks for the idea!
Thanks so much for linking to this post! That meant a lot!