Hey, here we are almost to the end of the year! I’ve got some cool things planned for 2025. Remember that the holiday rush is just a distraction. You can apply this focus every year, and every year will be different, love! So, in keeping to our deliberate change for ourselves, let’s get a better aim on the intentionality of focus. 

Before going to bed every night when I was young, I would say a prayer just as I was dozing off into my sleep. How do people do it these days? Because sleep requires a whole blog post dedicated to itself, I am going to share the things that have helped me keep focus. As you read, keep in mind that we have our own lives, so though this touches on focusing as a tool (and now in the blogosphere as a personal account for you (and me)), keep in mind that what is going on in our personal lives does matter. Please feel free to come back to this post whenever you need a reset. 

When I turned 30 years old, I noticed my focus shift. I would get stuck on a distraction, and couldn’t figure out why. I would find myself irritable about something, and to confront it, I would do something that would satisfy my dissatisfaction. If I had known then, what I know now, I would have applied some of these skills to get me out of my funk. 

Here are 2 ways I’ve applied focus into my life over the last 5 years:

Focus your skills into something you are good at. Highlight that quirk or interest that you stuff up and hide when you are alone. No friend to share it with? Stay your focus and perfect that skill. Before going into dance class when I was young, I would practice my turns on the carpet until I knew I was confident. Believe that you know what it takes. 

Make good with those distracting thoughts. As I hit my 36th year, I am better at tuning out the noise. Whether it is a negative belief, or just the distraction of your neighbor’s new car, I’ve learned to take my time with my feelings and be flexible with how to keep my inner power. The goal is to recognize that there is discouragement, but find the ways that you, your unique self, can wisely put one foot in front of the other. 

Books and sincere words have worked for me. Below is a link to a book I am listening to on Audible! 

Sharing the Pivot year link here. 

I do hope you can take those distractions, and turn them into a lesson that reflects something about yourself. You have your one life, one birthday a year, make it worth it! 

-Dana 

December 6th, 2024