Can't find the focus and discipline? TRY THIS!

How disciplined and consistent have you been over the last year in pursuit of your personal and professional goals? On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how would you rate yourself?

Please take a moment to drop that number in the comment bar below and come back to finish up the article. ?

As we approach the final stretch of 2022 action is the 'call of duty' yet even in this critical window, despite our genuine desire to, we feel unable to answer that call with a YES.

Inaction can creep up from "a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest", from limiting beliefs and biases that stop us before we even think to try or from external and unexpected life events like the death of a loved on, the loss of a job or the death of a relationship. Even a current relationship that is emotionally taxing and compromising your mental health can affect your ability to focus on your work and take action when you need to.

WATCH THIS VIDEO to see if any of these fears are present in your relationship and affecting your mental health.

HOW I MAKE DISCIPLINE INEVITABLE

My overarching rule is never multitask when handling time sensitive and critical goals. My quarterly goals never exceed 3 which allows me to pick the priority for each month and get focused on achieving it. While I do a little work on all three, only one task in each month gets primary focus, a priori status. Other pots may be simmering but only one pot gets my full engagement and creative dedication.

Uni-tasking, single-handling your work, focusing on the must-dos and not all the would-feel-good-to-dos is critical in this final stretch of the year.Which goal or outcome is URGENT & IMPORTANT for you to accomplish before the end of the year? Then let's focus decisively and obsessively on it!

The next important task is outlining the steps to get to the goal and this is where we can get trapped! Too often we give ourselves more steps than necessary to get to the finish line. It could be due to our own insecurities about how "prepared" and "deserving" we are to accomplish what we set out to. So we spend too much time getting ready.

Preparation should make you more effective in ACTION, not cause INACTION.

If you think you are not intellectually capable compared to others who are able to achieve a similar goal, you may be tempted to put "secure a Master's Degree" as Step 1. I have nothing against an MSc, MA or MBA. But, be careful that you aren't using that 2 year stretch of study as a means of procrastinating. Sometimes the next best step is a 4 week certificate course, a mentor, reading 2 or 3 books on strategy. Don't make the steps to success too complicated, lengthy and onerous. You may never get there.

I recommend a 4-to-Finish strategy with compels you to break down your goal in 4 clear steps. It removes the urge to write 10 small steps when 4 logical and essential steps would equal big strides towards the goal. In fact, this system is ingrained in my Productivity Planner The Success Farmer's Guide. We only leave room for you to outline essential actions so you don't get entangled in 'busy' work but productive and smart use of your time and skills. Join the waitlist for our 2023 Edition HERE .

Finally, commit to radical accountability. I put a hefty price on my indiscipline. I know that unless the pain of inconsistency and indiscipline is immediate and acute I can fall into the trap of inertia or delay myself with distractions. So I engage my accountability partner with a Habit Contract that requires me paying her THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS (JMD not USD...calm down ??) if I fail to execute on my weekly commitments. Here is a 45sec video on how it's been working.

These are big asks, I know. Showing up for yourself and your goals is hard work. But here is why I believe YOU CAN DO IT!

You are no stranger to taking action or doing hard things but it may be that you are used to doing it for others and lack the practice of doing it for yourself.

Soak up this 60 second gas up to help put things into perspective.

What has been your biggest barrier to discipline? Please share your perspective and experiences in the comments below. Thanks so much for reading this week's edition!

Krystal Tomlinson is a Public Speaking Coach and Corporate Productivity Trainer serving teams in the Caribbean and North America. She holds Certification from UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Centre in the Science of Happiness and works passionately to help improve workplace wellness and personal productivity. For trainings, workshops and seminar bookings email?[email protected] .