Hi there...I just love this time of year. Cold enough to cuddle up under the doona yet not so cold that I can't wear a t-shirt to the beach in the morning on my daily walk. Perfect.

Focus

If your find yourself getting off track, read on. Recently while talking with a friend and client, we discussed and how easy it can be to get lost in distractions that, while stimulating and appealing, can become a drain of time and energy. Will power doesn't always work to keep us on target. In 'The Power of Full Engagement' by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, the authors discuss how human beings have a limited and precious supply of will power. They suggest we hold our reserves of will power as best we can. However, there is another alternative - rituals.

Rituals provide us with a framework or habit that requires little effort to maintain once we have set it up properly. We all have many automatic rituals, like brushing our teeth in the morning. There is no will power needed and not much conscious thinking. Yet that simple ritual saves us from the nasty consequences if we didn't clean our teeth regularly.

The authors recommend consciously and creatively setting up rituals that serve our lives and produce useful outcomes. One of my favorites is walking on the beach in the morning. Granted I live in a beautiful spot and blessed with one of the best beaches on the Gold Coast on our doorstep (OK I'm biased - we have many great beaches here!). And, we live one street back from the beach so it's easy for us to make it a habit. I get some of my best ideas during my daily walk. It gives me a chance to problem solve, reflect and regenerate. It is a precious time of the day for me and I wouldn't be without it.

But in truth it doesn't matter where you live. There is always some place you can go to for the same experience. Even if you don't have somewhere physical to go, your imagination is unlimited. You can get the same benefits with your imaginary wanderings.
The point is that rituals work. You need only decide the outcome that you want and then set about crafting a ritual.

Here's a simple example from a recent coaching session to improve weekly focus.
1. Set aside a regular time at the beginning of the week
2. Sit somewhere quietly where you will not be disturbed
3. Reflect on the list of your core values. Let the meaning of these values resonate within you.
4. Look to your vision (3,6,12 or 24 months out). You can choose to go out further if that is appropriate.
5. Evaluate your recent progress. Ask yourself, 'What is working and what needs to change?'
6. Then ask yourself, 'What are the important actions I need to do this week?'
7. Check that these actions are congruent with your values and your vision
8. Write down what you need to do for the coming week and put them in your planner.
9. Set your intentions for the day and in your imagination, run through an ideal day. Include how you want to feel at the end of the day.

You can add other elements such as music, a journal or anything else that makes the activity more pleasurable. Make it easy to get into so that it becomes a habit that you couldn't do without.
The ritual then becomes a willing servant to your expanded life.