Find Focus

I spent this weekend volunteering to facilitate at my fraternity's annual leadership workshop. I worked with undergraduates to help them assess themselves, prepare strategic plans and discuss solutions to a variety of challenges they face in their positions. This was my fourth year and one common theme returned. They all feel comfortable now with their plans, but know that three weeks into the semester they’ll be too overwhelmed to know up from down and will have lost the motivation they have right now.

Looking back, I know what goes wrong each semester. The amount of work gradually increases from classes, events on campus pick up and unplanned things happen. This leads to stress, sleeping less and in some cases not doing the job intended. The challenge at that point is trying to get a brief chance to come up for air and sort things out before it gets worse. I feel most never get that chance, but instead hang on to a thread and strive under the pressure.

As I return to blogging after a month long hiatus, I ask that you start finding focus. Are you overwhelmed not completing the professional or personal tasks you want? Or do you feel like you are facing similar challenges that you faced before, but never seemed to address? Maybe fitness or financial goals that you never had a chance to create an action plan. It could also be dealing with a difficult person that never was confronted. Consider that it could be you’ve achieved more than you imagined and never taken a chance to enjoy it all.

Since August is typically filled with vacations, I challenge you to finding time on one of them to do some reflecting. Think about the last few years, not just this year. Celebrate successes. Identify motivation. Determine distractions. Consider opportunities. Even if you do not have a vacation planned, just search out some extra time to give yourself.