That idea you don’t have time for

Hi Friend, Do you feel like you have more ideas than time? It’s a tension that virtually everyone I know (including myself) struggles with sometimes. We all have that stuff we want to get to — the creative work, the side projects, the experiences with loved ones — but the reactive work of everyday life keeps sucking up our time instead. The worst part is it feels like you’ve already heard all the classic recommendations for dealing with this: - Stop trying to find time and start making it instead - Say no more often so you can say yes to the things that matter - Block off the time on your calendar and keep it sacred The tactics and tools are right there in front of you. You’ve probably read entire books or downloaded apps specifically designed to help you implement them. So why do you still find yourself spending so much time on things you don’t need to be doing instead of the laundry list of ideas you’re dying to get to? Typically, you can find the answer by zooming out and looking at what I call the 5 Components of a Focused Life: Life Vision → Goals → Action Plan → Schedule → Habits If you find yourself continuously struggling to get traction on those “back of the mind” ideas, it’s a good sign that at least one of these five areas is out of whack. For example, let’s say you want to write a book on the side. You set an ironclad word count goal. You map out a writing schedule that feels realistic and doable. You make a promise to yourself to stick to it religiously in order to build the habit. It’s a solid plan that checks a lot of boxes. But guess what? If you’re not crystal clear on how writing this book supports your vision and values (Component #1), the first unexpectedly crazy week at work is going to be all it takes to throw you off your game. Suddenly, that project you’re itching to work on goes back to being just another idea you don’t have time for. This was the exact kind of struggle Jenette McEntire was having when she joined one of our Focus Academy cohorts earlier this year. In fact, she’d spent an entire decade noodling on several book ideas without making any progress. But once we started coaching her through the 5 Components of a Focused Life, she had a game-changing moment of clarity. When she mapped out her Vision & Values in Week 1, it became clear that she would need to focus on finances in order to support the things that mattered to her most. “We’ve got a lot of big expenses, we’re trying to adopt…plus tuition for private school and now college…just zero margin,” she said. “So my focus declaration was to focus on my finances because that’s the place I have the least room.” With that clarity, she was able to align her Goals, Action Plan, Schedule, and Habits all to support her need for financial margin. Can you guess what suddenly became a lot more important to her? Focusing on projects that could turn into additional income streams — like those books that had been rolling around in her head for a decade. When we hopped on Zoom to catch up after Focus Academy, I wasn’t surprised to see the incredible progress she’d already made: - Her family has already paid off $13,000 in debt - She’s written her first children’s book (and is starting to illustrate it) - She’s already written the introduction and outlined the first 5 chapters of another book If you’re struggling to get a project off the ground, I highly recommend [watching my quick 7-minute conversation with her](. In particular, one thing she said stood out to me above the rest: “If you know what your focus and your mission and things you’re supposed to be working on, then that gives you the margin to be able to field the shoot-from-the-hip stuff coming from everywhere else.” Things might still be quiet in the afterglow of the holidays, but rest assured — that “shoot-from-the-hip stuff” is right around the corner. Are your New Year’s plans prepared for it? If you want this year to be different, join us for the upcoming special cohort of Focus Academy called Follow Through in 2022. I’m going to spend 4 weeks personally coaching a fresh group of leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs through the 5 Components of a Focused Life (and so much more) — so that by the end, you’ll have a repeatable framework in place for making meaningful progress in the areas of your life that matter most. It’s the simplest way to build accountability into your New Year’s plans from the start. [Click here to get full details on the agenda, schedule, and more.]( I hope to see you inside! — Shawn To unsubscribe from everything, [click here](. Blanc Media, 714 Main St., Grandview, MO 64030, United States