Focus on This

Sometimes the quickest way isn't the best way. While it would be very fast to simply write a list of goals on December 31st and then just hope that they work out, the research proves that it's not an effective way to reach your goals. The Full Focus System is built on the idea that you have to slow down at the beginning (and periodically throughout the year) so that you can achieve your goals both...

So often the areas we want to set goals are areas we’ve tried to set goals before - and failed. We’ve become discouraged. We’ve lost hope. We don’t want to try again. Along the way, we’ve turned those "failures" into limiting beliefs. We say things like, "I simply can't reach that goal." But the truth is that it's the limiting beliefs themselves that can hold us back from achieving a goal or from...

As a kid, did you ever wonder, "When will I need to know what a verb is?" Well, the answer to that question is: today. How you write your goals is a crucial element of your ability to achieve them. A poorly-worded goal can leave you feeling adrift and like you've failed. A correctly-worded goal not only helps you accomplish what you've set out to do, but you'll feel great about the person you've b...

Sometimes goal-setting can feel overwhelming. It can certainly feel like there are too many choices that you have to make before you can accomplish your goals. However, of all of the open questions that you need to answer, there is one that is more important than the rest. Blake, Verbs, and Courtney share that most important question, why it is so important, and share their experiences in answerin...

While the holiday season is wonderful, it can also disrupt all of the routines and rituals that you've spent all year developing. With more family, more events, more time with friends, more gifts, more meals - there's seemingly not enough time to devote to pursuing your quarterly and annual goals. When there's so much "more" happening in our lives, it's important to look for strategies of "less" t...

The research tells us that gratitude makes us both happier and healthier. With that in mind, it's easy to say, "Okay. I'll just be more grateful then!" However, forced gratitude runs the risk of just being robotic. So, how do you create the feelings of gratitude without forcing it? Verbs, Courtney, and Blake provide you with two tips to help you integrate gratitude into your weeks. Also, Courtney...

The question, "When you set your Daily Big 3?" is perhaps the most debated and most personal choice that every planner user has to grapple with. Should you set your Daily Big 3 during your morning ritual, the workday startup, your workday shutdown, or even the (apparently) controversial evening ritual? Courtney and Blake identify the four potential opportunities to set your Daily Big 3 and share t...

"You're a mixture of the five people you're closest to." That's how the saying goes at least. We believe that the same thing is true for the things that we pay attention to. The movies we watch, the books we read, the hobbies we participate in all change both who we are and who we will become. In today's episode, Courtney and Blake explore two tactics that will help you leverage the power of atten...

Everybody loves a good costume - even your tasks! There are things we do every day that might feel like productive work, but they're actually tasks that are simply filling your time and keeping you from accomplishing the goals you've set for yourself. The question is: How can you tell the difference between actual productive work and the downhill tasks that find a way to monopolize your time? Also...

The good news is that most smartphones now have built-in apps that will tell you how long you've used your phone and what you're using it for. The bad news is that people tend to avoid looking at the numbers. The reality is that everyday you probably spend hours on your phone - those are hours that could be used to accomplish the big goals you've set for yourself! Today, Courtney, Blake, and Nick...

Journaling is the type of activity that most people seem to recognize would benefit them, but they don't know where to start. When do they write? And, more important, what do you actually write while you're journaling? In this episode, Courtney and Blake give you two questions that will jumpstart your journaling practice and get you going on the right track. Also, Nick gives Courtney a very import...

If developing a habit were easy, then everybody would just snap their fingers and enjoy their life with their new awesome habit. However, that's not how it works. Developing any habit takes time and repetition. The goal is that a habit requires no decision-making so it frees up your mind to focus on the tasks and projects that will help you reach your goals. Verbs and Courtney give you two tips th...

One of the most common questions in the Full Focus Planner Community is "How can I use the planner to manage my ADHD?" In this episode, we're giving you some initial thoughts to help steer you in the right direction. First, Verbs, Blake, and Courtney talk about three questions that you can ask yourself to help improve and streamline your Ideal Week. Then, Courtney talks with Full Focus Planner Cer...

For many people, Q4 is the busiest time of the year. There are so many events and holidays that happen between October 1 and December 31 that it can be difficult to make sure that your goals are on track. This is why it's important to make the most out of your upcoming Quarterly Preview! This is the time to make sure that all of your ducks are in a row so that you can finish the year out strong. B...

A planner is a great way to stay organized and the Full Focus Planner is an excellent way to both stay organized and achieve the goals you've set for yourself. The planner is full of boxes and circles to to mark off your progress, but you don't get the full benefits of the planner unless you use them. In this episode, Courtney and Marissa Hyatt talk about the power of actually checking off all of...

One of the most common questions we hear is: "How do I integrate the planner with my project management system?". We all know the value of using the Full Focus Planner to not just stay organized, but to help us conceive and achieve our goals. What happens when you want to take the insights from the planner and use it with Asana, Trello, ClickUp, or whatever project management system you use? Well,...

Have you ever had a plan for your week only to have a conversation with your boss that changes everything? In the blink of an eye, it seems like all of your plans have been ruined and you'll spend days trying to catch up. The truth is that you have more control over these situations than you might think. Blake, Courtney, and Verbs give you four steps that you can follow the moment your boss tells...

With summer vacations wrapping up, school starting again, and various pumpkin-flavored drinks being consumed, that can mean only one thing: fall is upon us. A change in seasons means a change in your routines. Luckily, the Full Focus system gives you the chance to rethink the rhythms and rituals that help you be successful. Blake, Verbs, and Courtney provide you with three rhythms that you can use...

We've all been there. The day is ending and you're just feeling the whiplash of a day that required a seemingly endless list of decisions and tasks. While it can feel like you have no control over how your day plays out, the truth is that there are some tasks that you will do repeatedly. Those tasks are perfect candidates to be batched. Batching means less time transitioning between tasks and more...

It seems like the moment you try to do important work is always precisely aligned with the moment that the whole world suddenly needs your attention. Your boss might need you. Your kids might need you. Your own thoughts interrupt you and pull your attention away from the important work at hand. The good news is that it doesn't have to be like this. In today's episode, Courtney and Verbs give you t...

Blake stops by to talk with Verbs and Courtney about how two simple questions can help you reach your goals. Coaching is so valuable because it allows you to get an outside perspective on what's happening in your life. While having a coach is always a good idea, what if you could coach yourself? What if you could set aside the emotions that keep us from accomplishing our goals? The questions that...

As high achievers, it can be difficult to stop the work you're doing and start a workday shutdown. In the short run, pushing through and finishing the work can feel like it makes a lot of sense because you finish more things on your to-do list. However, in the long run, not shutting down your workday can start to grind your productivity to a halt. Today, Courtney and Verbs describe two different e...

A goal that is poorly structured can not only keep you from achieving your goal, but it can also stop you from getting out of the starting gates. Today, Verbs and Courtney talk you through the first "R" in the SMARTER Goals Framework: Risky. How can we leverage risk to maximize our results? Also, Courtney battles with a fly. If you want to see all of it, make sure you watch the video: https://yout...

What are the biggest obstacles that people face when struggling to complete their Daily Big 3? Since the Daily Big Three is a core component of the Full Focus System, understanding the answers to that question can help you break through the stress of those blank Daily Big 3 sections in your planner. In this episode, Courtney and Verbs discuss two powerful questions that can help get you back on tr...

As a high achiever, you’re dialed in on productivity. You know how to get things done. But there’s a problem. No matter how much you produce, you always feel behind. There always seems to be a looming deadline that somehow got missed. That puts you on the hamster wheel nearly every week, hustling to get caught up. It’s exhausting.  There’s a fix for that. It’s called a Monthly Calendar. Start usin...