(Cross-posted at BlogHer) 

Here’s part of my to-do list for the rest of the day: 1) Clear the queue of documents awaiting my revision and approval at work; 2) Attend an offsite work meeting this afternoon; 3) Go to the post office; 4) Clean the kitchen; 5) Fold laundry; 6) Pick up a birthday present for a friend. How am I supposed to sustain the motivation and laser-beam focus needed to achieve my goals while I’m scrubbing kitchen counters, let alone get my writing done?

And the thing is, I have it relatively easy. I don’t have kids. I have a pretty short commute. I’m not dealing with some of the insane external pressures that many of you face every day. But still, in any given 24-hour period, work eats up at least 9 hours of my day (on weekdays) and I have a number of errands and tasks and family/social commitments to take care of as well. With all that distraction, it’s difficult to maintain the single-minded focus necessary to pursue my goal of writing a novel.

So what’s a girl to do? Achieving a life goal requires single-minded dedication, but life pulls us in a million different directions and we become sort of… multi-minded? There’s certainly no quick and easy fix. But if you find yourself in the same situation, there are strategies you can use to maximize your focus and commitment. Superficial motivation isn’t good enough–you need to dig deep and allow your drive to succeed to permeate every level of your consciousness. There are four areas to focus on:

1. Physical - Every day, you should ensure that you are taking at least one concrete action in support of your goals. The more you can do every day, the better. Take a class on starting your own business. Sign up to take the LSAT. Work on your website. All these physical actions will direct your energy toward what you want to achieve. Another effective tactic is to surround yourself with objects, images, and words that reinforce what you’re trying to do.
2. Mental - I wrote yesterday about getting rid of my options. This is one strategy that’s particularly effective on the mental level. Taking away options also removes distractions and forces you to focus your mental energy solely on what you’re striving to achieve. If you can’t actually get rid of an option right now for financial or other reasons, set a deadline and make a commitment to someone else to get rid of the option at that time. It’s important to involve an outside party here–the mind can easily rationalize procrastination and fear.
3. Emotional - You need to deeply, passionately care about what you’re trying to do. “I want to start a business because I don’t want to work for anyone else” is not a good enough reason. It will not be enough to generate and maintain the level of commitment and enthusiasm required. You need to raise the stakes. Ask yourself why this particular goal is so important to you, and keep pushing until you find the answer. When the answer to that question brings tears to your eyes or makes you throw back your head and laugh, you’ll know you’re on the right track.
4. Spiritual - Not everyone is comfortable with the spiritual side of themselves, but I believe that we all have one nonetheless. It’s the part of you that feels like there’s something different about you, that something important and life-changing is waiting for you just around the corner. It’s the part of you that knows there must be something more than this semi-charmed life you’re living. It’s the part of you that needs to believe in what you’re doing. If you’re religious, spend some time in prayer asking for guidance. If you’re not, meditation, creative visualization, or automatic writing could be tools that you can use to do a spiritual check-up. The question you’re trying to answer: Is this goal aligned with my purpose and values?

It takes continual effort to maintain the fever pitch excitement that will carry you to the finish line, but taking the time to cultivate single-mindedness will help you stay on target.

(By the way, morning writing made Day 9 another success! Almost halfway there…)

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