Determine the space you need to keep your focus
In this 4-part blog series, we’ve been exploring the 3 areas that either steal or keep your focus, your places, spaces, and assignments. Today is part 3 of the series and we’ll be covering…you guessed it 👉 your spaces. More importantly, the kind of space and spaces that are needed to keep your focus.
Your focus, did you catch that? While the term focus and its definition is universal, how and where we apply it is not always. Hence, why we’re going so deep (4-part series, remember?) to determine the areas that steal or keep it!
There’s no hesitation when it comes to identifying ways that your focus is consistently stolen from you. (or at least that’s the story we’re sticking to 👌) But have you ever given much thought to what keeps it? Specifically, the space and spaces you need in order to keep that focus, once you’ve got it!
Let’s talk about the spaces.
First let’s clarify, space. Listen, we would all agree that every one of us needs space, have space and if we’re really honest, crave or desire more space.
Space is defined as free areas, availability, pace, and even proximity.
Assume that this is easy to define in your own life.
Think of the areas you have as it relates to your space:
- What do you consider your free areas?
- How much availability do you have?
- What’s your pace looking like right now?
- Where is your proximity to others, or even your proximity from your here right now to your pursuit of there?
Were you even able to identify which of your known spaces steal or keep your focus?
It depends…
Guarantee your first thought or answers were something along the lines of “…it depends.”
Depends on your mood, your circumstances, and even the situation…(talked about many of those in part 2 of this series.)
No matter your answer, it can get pretty tricky! But you know you best. Your go-to places and spaces that are either helping you or hindering you when it comes to your goals.
Knowing the goal
In order to determine the space you need for your kind of focus, you should probably first define the goal.
Once you do that, your next step would be to discover the actions needed to make progress toward that goal, 👉your goal.
Knowing the goal and what you have to do in order to close the space between your here and your there is a fantastic start, but it’s the doing that closes that gap 😉.
Sure, sounds so cut and dry. Even doable. Yet, so many get hung up and tangled on that middle part – discovering the actions needed to make progress toward your goal.
Don’t get mad at me, but…
You also have to discover the impulses and actions you’ll need to ignore! In other words, it’s not just about an amazing “to-do list”, but a seriously convicting To-DON’T list!
I’ve done extensive training on this and if you’re part of the Prioritized Focus Community, or have taken any of my courses, I’m a big advocate of to-don’t lists!
Don’t kid yourself. Your spaces have everything to do with how effectively and successfully you make progress toward your goal – or not. In other words, those spaces of yours are either going to steal or keep your focus.
Finding your kind of focus.
Take a moment to assess and evaluate your spaces as it relates to stealing or keeping your focus. Are you looking at your space or have some go-to’s in mind? Good.
Physical spaces.
Look around you and note what you think about your space right now. Well?
- how does it make you feel?
- is it distracting or frustrating you?
- is it attracting or inspiring you?
It may seem like a small detail, but your space definitely has the ability to evoke feelings – good and bad. Think of the places that you go, which have spaces that calm you, and which are the ones that stress you out?
Most importantly, which of these places and spaces do you have control over in how they make you feel? (read this about finding focus despite your feelings)
Emotional spaces.
While your physical spaces can definitely get an emotional response, emotional spaces are the ones that cannot be readily or easily seen.
When it comes to these types of spaces, they’re a lot more personal. These spaces will often drive you away from people and places or draw you toward them.
- mindset (headspace – careful who/what is allowed to take up space)
- heart (the beat of all that you are and what sustains you – literally and figuratively. check out this post 💗)
- soul (you as a whole and the part of you to exist beyond the body)
Spiritual spaces.
There’s a ton that’s said about this, but as a believer, there’s only one authority on this one and I’ll go with what He says.
In a world that wants to gloss over spirituality and define it only as “something bigger”, yet not really wanting to commit to “it”, it’s no wonder why their search never ends. It’s on to this wellness trend, these crystals, that incense, this chant/mantra, and the list goes on. Only to still be left with a gaping God-shaped hole.
Yep, you can try and fill “it” with all kinds of stuff, remedies, causes, and the latest guru’s products, but in the end, only God knows you and what your soul really needs…HIM!
If this part about spiritual spaces scares you a little bit, read this and you’ll learn how you were meant to be a hero! So before you vow to dismiss God as the One and Only that can fulfill that spiritual hole you feel, I encourage you to give that post a read.
You’ve got this!
Determining which spaces keep you focused requires commitment, honesty (with yourself), and a whole ‘lot of experimenting!
Have fun with your spaces and learn which ones are your goal-getting-focused go-to’s!
working to find the best get-focused spaces right there with ya,
Additional resources:
The 3 Areas the steal or keep your focus (series part 1)
How to know if your places steal or keep your focus (series part 2)