Step 3 of 21 Days of Focus is to not have an all or nothing attitude. (If you missed Step 1 and 2, I’ve listed them with links below.)

We all have days when we don’t accomplish what we set out to do. Many times circumstances are out of our control. An unexpected meeting will come up, a child or parent will get sick, or we might get sick. An emergency of any kind pops up and train wrecks our day.

Let Go of Setbacks

There will also be days when, for whatever reason, you don’t bounce out of bed. You feel blah. Everything will pass. Don’t give up on your dreams or project. There will be setbacks and distractions. Let it all go and do your best to get on track the next day.

I found this Ted Talk to be very inspiring. The title is shocking, but it’s thought provoking and entertaining. It has helped me when I’ve wanted to hit the snooze button in the morning to, instead, pop out of bed. It’s called How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over.

My Struggle with All or Nothing

I used to struggle with my weight and had twenty to thirty pounds I was always gaining and losing.

I was either on a diet or off a diet. If I ate something that was not on my diet in my mind I’d blown it. So, I would go on a binge. I certainly used to have an all or nothing attitude!

Had I been gentle with myself and told myself that my one indiscretion wouldn’t destroy all of my prior hard work, I would have been okay and would have kept losing weight being persistent and consistent. But, I didn’t. I kept sabotaging myself with an all or nothing attitude.

Thankfully I’ve overcome my weight issues once and for all. But, this all or nothing attitude certainly carried over to other areas of my life.

Learn to accept setbacks and keep moving towards your goal. When your heart is pulling you, you must follow it.

Focus is easier when you work from a position of strength. In Step 4 we will talk about – Focus on Your Strengths and how to find out what your strengths are if you don’t know.

Step 1 – You Have to Have a Plan

Step 2 – Take Action on your Plan in Small Steps Every Day

Step 3 – Don’t have an All or Nothing Attitude

Until next time…. Stay focused!