Focus on This

Latest Episodes:

Cultivate Gratitude Naturally & Combatting Workaholism Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

The research tells us that gratitude makes us both happier and healthier. With that in mind, it's easy to say, "Okay. I'll just be more grateful then!" However, forced gratitude runs the risk of just being robotic. So, how do you create the feelings of gratitude without forcing it?

Verbs, Courtney, and Blake provide you with two tips to help you integrate gratitude into your weeks. Also, Courtney speaks with Full Focus Planner Certified Pro, Jeremy Clopton, about using the planner as a workaholic.

In this episode, you will learn:

How to set activation triggers to help practice gratitude
How the language we use is so important to our sense of gratitude
How to use your planning to combat workaholic tendencies

To learn more about Jeremy Clopton, find him on the Full Focus Planner Community or find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyclopton/

In need of a coach, find a Full Focus Planner Certified Coach, then visit https://fullfocus.co/directory/ and poke around. Looking for a specific name? Then make sure to search for "earners".

Lastly, you can also find Jeremy and other Pros in the Full Focus Planner Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ffpthinktank

To watch this episode on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/J8BOrxoV1Hc

For more podcasts, visit www.focusonthispodcast.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Should I Set My Daily Big 3? Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

The question, "When you set your Daily Big 3?" is perhaps the most debated and most personal choice that every planner user has to grapple with. Should you set your Daily Big 3 during your morning ritual, the workday startup, your workday shutdown, or even the (apparently) controversial evening ritual?

Courtney and Blake identify the four potential opportunities to set your Daily Big 3 and share the pros and cons for each one. Also, Nick asks Courtney to detail her morning ritual.

In this episode, you will learn:

The pros and cons to when you set your Daily Big 3
When our hosts set their Daily Big 3s
How Courtney structures her morning ritual

Need help setting or resetting one of your daily rituals? Visit www.fullfocus.co/build-rituals to download your own ritual kit.

Make sure to join our Full Focus Planner Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ffpthinktank

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J3-QTEBmbsg

For more podcasts, visit www.focusonthispodcast.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Leveraging the Power of Attention Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

"You're a mixture of the five people you're closest to." That's how the saying goes at least. We believe that the same thing is true for the things that we pay attention to. The movies we watch, the books we read, the hobbies we participate in all change both who we are and who we will become.

In today's episode, Courtney and Blake explore two tactics that will help you leverage the power of attention to accomplish your goals. Also, Nick has another segment of "Videos that the YouTube algorithm fed him". This time it's a video about home organization for people who struggle with it.

In this episode, you will learn:

How memorization can be your ally
How to make your important goals and ideas visible
Some quick organizational tips to provide some margin in your day

To get your monthly phone wallpapers, visit www.fullfocus.co/downloads.

To watch this episode on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/18QaZj2mp1A.

Watch the home organization video that Nick talks about here: https://youtu.be/xRGXi1aTh1w

(Note: This video was not produced by Full Focus. It's very helpful, but has just a few moments that are a bit sassy or edgy.)

For more podcasts, visit www.focusonthispodcast.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How to Spot Downhill Work in Disguise Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Everybody loves a good costume - even your tasks! There are things we do every day that might feel like productive work, but they're actually tasks that are simply filling your time and keeping you from accomplishing the goals you've set for yourself. The question is: How can you tell the difference between actual productive work and the downhill tasks that find a way to monopolize your time?

Also, Courtney answers a community member's question about how long to track habit goals.

In this episode, you will:

Learn two ways to identify downhill work
Understand how to replace downhill work with productive tasks
Hear about the complexities of habit stacking over multiple quarters

To view this episode on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/hEuLvDBZ7bg

Make sure to join our Full Focus Planner Community. It's where all the cool kids hang out! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ffpthinktank

For more podcasts, visit www.focusonthispodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reclaim Your Time by Setting Simple Tech Boundaries Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

The good news is that most smartphones now have built-in apps that will tell you how long you've used your phone and what you're using it for. The bad news is that people tend to avoid looking at the numbers. The reality is that everyday you probably spend hours on your phone - those are hours that could be used to accomplish the big goals you've set for yourself!

Today, Courtney, Blake, and Nick talk about their own phone usage and they tackle three ways to set some simple boundaries around screen usage.

In this episode, you will learn:

How to check your smartphone usage
How individual apps can eat up a lot of time
Just how much Courtney, Nick, and Blake are using their phones
Why exploring the issue of screen time is important in the first place

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ss3bNedYA-4

Remember to visit the Full Focus Community for the latest tips to help keep you focused:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ffpthinktank

For more episodes, visit www.focusonthispodcast.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#162: The Overlooked Key to Growth and Vision Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Journaling is the type of activity that most people seem to recognize would benefit them, but they don't know where to start. When do they write? And, more important, what do you actually write while you're journaling?

In this episode, Courtney and Blake give you two questions that will jumpstart your journaling practice and get you going on the right track. Also, Nick gives Courtney a very important quiz.

You will learn:

What barriers people often feel when they start to journal
The importance of vision when it comes to journaling
The opportunities that journaling provides
That Courtney has a questionable British accent

To check out the Full Focus Journal, visit https://fullfocusstore.com/collections/journals/products/full-focus-journal-single

To watch this episode on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/DWjxMoiLKIg

Check out The Accidental Diarist by Molly McCarthy: https://amzn.to/3T4vqES

Join the Full Focus Community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ffpthinktank

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#161: 2 Tactics to Finally Install Your New Habit Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

If developing a habit were easy, then everybody would just snap their fingers and enjoy their life with their new awesome habit. However, that's not how it works. Developing any habit takes time and repetition. The goal is that a habit requires no decision-making so it frees up your mind to focus on the tasks and projects that will help you reach your goals.

Verbs and Courtney give you two tips that can help you develop your new habits faster. Courtney also speaks with Dave Yankowiak, Technology Director at Full Focus. As a planner user for five years, Dave has some thoughts on how to get the most out of your Full Focus Planner.

In this episode, you will learn:

What activities you can turn into a habit
How to use activation triggers to engrain those habits
How to navigate both work and home tasks without stress

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QakiYBDhUIQ

Join the Full Focus Planner Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ffpthinktank

For more episodes, visit www.focusonthispodcast.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#160: Improving Your Ideal Week & Managing ADHD Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

One of the most common questions in the Full Focus Planner Community is "How can I use the planner to manage my ADHD?" In this episode, we're giving you some initial thoughts to help steer you in the right direction.

First, Verbs, Blake, and Courtney talk about three questions that you can ask yourself to help improve and streamline your Ideal Week. Then, Courtney talks with Full Focus Planner Certified Pro Cindy Wolford about how she uses the planner to manage her ADHD.

In this episode, you will learn:

How to prioritize the tasks that should make it to your Ideal Week
Ideas for activities to help you stay grounded
Insights into how to structure your day to maximize productivity
Why the planner works so well with ADHD

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Eswskn3X4EQ

Get your free Ideal Week template at www.fullfocusplanner.com/idealweek.

Learn more about Cindy's coaching and her experiences with the FFP and ADHD: https://cleaningup.co/blog/ffp-adhd/

Talk with Cindy and other members of the Full Focus Planner Community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ffpthinktank.

The Hexagon Pomodoro timer that Cindy uses can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Hexagon-Rotating-Minute-Preset-Countdown/dp/B07L2QN8MY

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#159: 2 Tips to Hack Your Quarterly Preview Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

For many people, Q4 is the busiest time of the year. There are so many events and holidays that happen between October 1 and December 31 that it can be difficult to make sure that your goals are on track. This is why it's important to make the most out of your upcoming Quarterly Preview! This is the time to make sure that all of your ducks are in a row so that you can finish the year out strong.

Blake, Verbs, and Courtney offer you two hacks to help level-up your Quarterly Preview game. Also, Courtney welcomes back Adam Hill, Full Focus' "Product Development design and, uh, no. Product Design and Development and Supply Chain Director". They talk a little about the planner and Adam offers some of his favorite productivity tips.

View the episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/50OAtiirDzk

In this episode, you will learn:

How much time you should set aside for your Quarterly Preview
What you should know before and during your Quarterly Preview
What Adam does to get the ol' noggin working
How hard Nick is pushing for a Daily Big 3 stamp

Remember to visit www.fullfocusplanner.com/quarterlypreview for a fully-guided Quarterly Preview with Blake Stratton.

Adam talks about the craftsmanship in the new Full Focus Notes. Make sure to give them a look here: https://fullfocusstore.com/collections/accessories/products/full-focus-notes

Make sure to join our Full Focus Planner Community on Facebook so that you can hang out with just the coolest people on the planet (oh, and talk all things planner and productivity): https://www.facebook.com/groups/ffpthinktank

For a complete transcription of this episode, visit www.focusonthispodcast.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#158: The Power of a Checkmark Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

A planner is a great way to stay organized and the Full Focus Planner is an excellent way to both stay organized and achieve the goals you've set for yourself. The planner is full of boxes and circles to to mark off your progress, but you don't get the full benefits of the planner unless you use them.

In this episode, Courtney and Marissa Hyatt talk about the power of actually checking off all of the boxes.

Also, in our new Certified Pro segment, we talk with Jake Brown about how he coaches creative professionals to use their planners. He's got some great insights that you can put into practice right away.

In this episode, you will learn: