Focus Digest: August 2022

Thoughts on How to Beat the Resistance 👊 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  Focus Digest: August 2022 Welcome to August, Friend! Hello to all the new people getting the Focus Digest. If you're new here, this is a monthly digest for folks who want to create a more ideal schedule, get organized, and stay in control of the things that matter. Shawn and I (Isaac) have been sending these monthly digests to a smaller group of folks for a while, and they've been so well received that we wanted to open it to a broader group -- that includes you! If your new to the digest... here's what to look forward to on the first of every month: - A short article on a single concept around focus - A couple quotes that we've enjoyed thinking on - Links to interesting or related articles from our corner of the internet - Upcoming events and resource spotlights for our [Accelerator Members]( Enjoy the August edition. If this sparks any ideas I’d love to hear from you! (We send the digest once a month. If you'd rather not get the focus digest you can easily opt-out via the link at the bottom.) . . . . . If you aren't experiencing failure, then you are making a far worse mistake: You are being driven by the desire to avoid it.  — Ed Catmull, Creativity, Inc. Thoughts on How to Beat the Resistance If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years it’s that living a focused life does not happen by accident. A life of purpose, impact, significance is not a haphazard pursuit. It requires intentionality, a grappling, a struggle. It requires a determined focus. On any given day there is a great deal of resistance set against us. Any normal day is fraught with distractions or disappointments. And on our worst days overwhelm, despair, or even hopelessness. Day-to-day life has its fill of heartache and tension. Any movement we make toward lasting positive change is met with a barrage of resistance. It would seem the world is set against us as we pursue goodness. From forming new habits to building a lasting legacy, the road is never easy. And no one skates through life unscathed. It’s not if you’ll face hardship or crisis, but when. So when it comes to making changes in life that align with your vision and values you can count on being met with resistance. And if there’s going to be resistance, why not utilize every possible resource available to stack the odds in your favor? This is what I call stacking the deck of life to beat the resistance. Any time I start to implement a new habit or routine, I’m a firm believer in doing everything I can to help it stick. Almost as if this new behavior is an infant, completely dependent on my care. Here is one example of beating the resistance and stacking the deck in my favor. Waking Early Over the years I’ve developed a practice of waking early. In some seasons more successful than others. Mostly I’ve learned how bad I am at naturally waking early. So I unashamedly employ every tactic available to give myself a chance at succeeding. - Set out tomorrow’s clothes: Most often, this is my running attire or gym clothes along with the gear I will need. There is nothing worse than rummaging around a dark house trying to track down all the equipment I need. - Prep morning coffee: Each night I grind the coffee beans, prepare my water kettle, and set up my AreoPress. All I have to do in the morning is turn on the kettle and then make my coffee. - Meet a friend: Usually once a week waking early will include meeting a friend. This could be for a run, or playing basketball, or the occasional early morning visit. It definitely ups the motivation to get out of bed when someone will be counting on you. - Move your alarm clock: My single greatest weapon is moving my alarm clock to the other side of the room. That way, when it goes off in the morning I have to get out of bed to turn it off quickly before it wakes my wife. I then have a choice, do I get back in bed or go turn on the water kettle? - (Bonus) Do something fun: If the morning activity is something I really enjoy, this also helps me follow through on the commitment to get out of bed. As in introvert, sometimes just the thought of getting an hour of solitude is all the motivation I need. To consistently wake early I’ve found that I need to employ at least 3 of these to increase my chance of success. If there’s one thing I can count on, it’s that I will not want to get out of bed each morning. These tactics help me overcome the resistance. * * * How about for you? Here are some quick wins to try out: Is there a new habit or routine you’ve been trying to build momentum in? How can you stack the deck in your favor? Come up with a list of 4 or 5 tactics that will help you overcome the resistance set against you following through. Upcoming Accelerator Events - August Coaching Call: (Aug 5, 3pm Eastern) - Workshop: Easy Business Development with Mo Bunnell & Shawn Blanc: (Aug 12, 11:30am Eastern) - Focus Academy Registration Opens (Included free for Accelerator): (Aug 31) - September Coaching Call: (Sep 9, 11am Eastern) When you're ready... An all-access pass to every single course and tool in our library, plus a community to help you get clear, take action, and keep going. ✓ Unlimited access to every course in our library ✓ Monthly coaching, workshops, and Q&A with our team ✓ Gain accountability and breakthrough with the community [Join Accelerator and get instant access to everything]( Noteworthy Reading - [Tomorrow’s Outfit (My #1 Productivity Advice)]( - [Where have you created false urgency]( - [Don’t Wait to Create]( We come up with all sorts of excuses as to why it’s not time to work on that creative endeavor we’ve been thinking of for ages. It’s time to get started. - [Elements of a Sweet Setup: Desks and Chairs]( There’s a lot of hype around building out a home office right now given the dramatic shift toward work-from-home or hybrid remote work. There are so many accessories and so many ways to build your setup — it can be overwhelming. And it’s important, right? That's it for this month's Focus Digest. Experiment with how you can beat resistance in the month of August. And I'd love to hear how it's going for you. Always feel free to reach out... — Isaac Smith Director of Accelerator You must say "No" to unexpected opportunities in order to say "Yes" to your priorities.  — Jocelyn K. Glei, Unsubscribe [Unsubscribe from Focus Digest](. Or, to unsubscribe from everything, for ever and ever, [here](. Blanc Media, 714 Main St., Grandview, MO 64030, United States