– A Checklist to Focus Down –
The key to focusing and creating a good mindset is to set a clear aim and define the path that gets you there.
It’s a little bit like walking over a tree that connects two cliffs. You don’t look down to the left or right — you stay focused on what’s in front of you.
Here’s how to do it:
A) What is your goal?
Clearly define what you motivation is:
Do your first piece | Get a lot of clicks | Grow your channel | Test one idea versus another | Try a new technique
Be specific because it helps turn the void in your mind into a sharp picture. You don’t need to worry about creating a viral post if you just want to test a new writing or editing technique.
The clearer you are about what you want, the easier it is to ignore everything else. Therefore: one goal only.
B) What is your long-term goal?
Don’t get stuck on making a perfect piece. However, don’t drop your attitude and standards either. Instead, focus on where you want to be.
If you have a larger goal in mind, you will see where you lack skills, experience, or knowledge and still take action — because you know it will get you closer to your goal. Having your final goal in mind will inspire you and make every little misstep or failure along the way feel much less significant.
Ask yourself:
- What do you want to be known for?
- What videos should be on your channel?
- What should the reaction of your audience be?
P.S. Do you notice how envisioning that last point excites you more than scanning for mistakes or obsessing over how to “improve”?
C) What is the first step of each action you need to take?
Just think about the very first action you need to take to get started. This doesn’t mean “turn the computer on.” But rather, “decide on an overall layout” or “gather the papers you want to include before writing the introduction of your manuscript.”
Don’t think about everything at once — just layout (not layout + colors + components + shadows, etc.) or just how to start the introduction (not which writing style + sentence length + transitions). Everything else will come step by step. Break big tasks down.
D) What do you still need?
Sometimes doubt won’t immediately fade even when you know what to do. Then, face your anxiety: What don’t you know how to do? What do you still need (e.g., a list of…, a login for…, figuring out how to upload…)?
You don’t need all the answers. But you do need to identify what keeps your mind distracted.
E) What to prioritize
Now that you know where you want to go, how to get there, and what you still need, you can decide what to take action on.
Prioritizing is hard for many people. But now you’ve got all the puzzle pieces, which makes it easier.
Ask yourself: What can and should I do first?
F) What’s in your way / What should you double-check?
If you have doubts, make a list of things you shouldn’t forget. Again, taking the first step is most important. A list or timeline will help you avoid losing track of what needs to be done later.
The more focused you are on the task at hand, the better.
As a side note: If you are about to give a talk or record yourself, you might think you shouldn’t obsess over the situation — but I’d argue you should go all in. The anxiety comes from not going all in. You’re not focusing on the presentation itself but on what people might think, what questions you might not be able to answer, etc.
G) What will you not be able to control?
In most cases, you have no idea how well you’ll do. Often, our audiences and content vary too much to predict how something will be received.
Remind yourself: what others say has nothing to do with your self-worth.
Do not identify yourself with your creation. You work on the piece — your creation gets the spotlight, not you.
Your mind is trained to latch onto feedback as a judgment of whether what you did was good or not. Leave that aside for now. If you don’t start, you cannot improve. If you don’t try, you cannot know if you’re sitting on a gold mine. If you don’t launch, you cannot receive accolades.
Bonus
If possible, spend time with positive and happy people before you create content. The joy, motivation, and inspiration you get from those who are productive and upbeat is invaluable.