Can I tell you a secret?
I LOVE funny animal videos.
Whether they show a cat that meows like it’s saying “hi y’all” or a dog “singing” with its owner, these videos are the one thing that will get me stuck in a social media scroll.
Until…
I realize I’ve lost precious time that I could have used sleeping, practicing postures, meditating, writing, reaching out to a friend, or doing something else for my self-care and Dharma (Purpose).
Whatever lures you away from your highest priorities, know that you’re not alone in the struggle to stay focused on what matters most in this busy, over-stimulating, increasingly neurodiverse and demanding world. When I survey my clients, they respond that time management and staying focused are the biggest blocks they have to living a happier, healthier, more inspired life and to taking better care of themselves.
Staying focused on what matters most is an ongoing, integral practice that involves more than mental concentration alone. Your Dharma (Purpose) provides a north star, and the 8 Limbs of Yoga are the navigation system to help you eliminate distractions (beyond silencing your phone notifications) and keep moving towards that guiding light while still taking good care of yourself.
STAYING FOCUSED ON WHAT MATTERS MOST DIFFERS FROM REAL-TIME CONCENTRATION TIPS
A quick Google search on tips for staying focused reveals all kinds of productivity hacks, calendar tricks, apps and other steps for enhancing concentration, like getting a good night’s sleep, exercising, eating well, or using the Pomodoro method, etc. While these techniques are helpful and necessary, from an integral perspective, they are only partial solutions. They often focus on external actions (e.g., exercise, eat well), systems and processes (e.g., a planning system, the 80/20 rule). They tend to ignore what’s happening internally in your own mind (e.g., your intentions and purpose) and in your relationships (e.g., dealing with unspoken norms and expectations, setting boundaries).
Since we all tend to migrate towards what we’re used to and what feels comfortable, we tend to neglect one or more of these areas. One of the first things I do when I meet with a new client is find out which of these areas are missing in their current approach to reaching their goals.
You’ll have a greater chance of staying focused on what matters most when you address it from all these perspectives, not just one or two.
YOUR DHARMA OR PURPOSE IS A GUIDING LIGHT
The key that I find missing the most when people want help with staying focused is Dharma (Purpose)—not knowing it, being unclear about it, and not living it.
Whether you call it your Dharma, purpose, mission, or vision, it provides a guiding light for your actions. Without your Dharma as a north star, you might find yourself spending a lot of time and energy and still feel like you’re going nowhere.
You might have more than one purpose or find that your Dharma can change over the course of your life. You might find it in your career at one point and at other times in a role you play in the lives of others (parent, spouse, mentor, etc.). Your purpose might stay the same but look different depending on your stage of life as well.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with not knowing your purpose. You can live a beautiful life, without ever once thinking about your purpose. We all have unique roles to play, and even if you don’t seek out your purpose, it will find you to some degree, whether you realize it or not.
With today’s increasingly complex world, your Dharma gives meaning to your life, provides your soul a way to make a difference, and practically, helps you decide where to put your attention and actions.
So why not harness this powerful concept to help you make sense of the world and make the most of your time in it?
THE 8 LIMBS OF YOGA ARE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM
Once you know your Dharma, one of the best ways to stay focused on what matters most is to start saying no to requests and activities that are not related to your purpose. Sometimes this distinction might be easy to make. At other times, you might feel like everything is related to your purpose, especially if your work is your Dharma.
It can be easy to overwork for the sake of your purpose (guilty 🙋🏻♀️).
To balance self-care with your drive to fulfill your purpose, you must start to see self-care as being in service to your purpose, to staying focused on what matters most, and to the greater good that happens as a result.
That’s where the 8 Limbs of Yoga—the Restraints, the Personal Observances, the Postures, Withdrawal of the Senses, Breathwork, Concentration, Meditation, and Absorption—become so crucial. They are the navigation system that helps you move past the many distractions that you’ll find along your journey.
Afterall, it’s tough to stay focused on what matters most when your back hurts because you didn’t do your Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutations) today. Or maybe you need to draw on the practice of Satya (Truth) and Brahmacharya (Moderation) to speak your truth and set boundaries with your family to carve out the time you need for your Dharma. Sometimes, it really is as straightforward as practicing a simple concentration boosting technique like listening to brain.fm so you can get that task done.
Either way, the path is your own and you get to choose how you get there. With your eyes on your Dharma as your north star and the 8 Limbs of Yoga to help guide you, you’ll be on your way to living a life of purpose and staying focused on what matters most.
Interested in learning more? I recently had the opportunity to chat with my friend Michele Santo about how to stay focused on what matters most, the Great Yoga Wall, boundary setting, and so much more for her new video collection, The Wellspot Series. Check it out here.
This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.