Back in September, I shared some musings on how getting to know your future self can be the key to making real progress with your habit changes. Most of us have an innate understanding of who we are and what matters in our lives, though putting it into words can be tricky. I’ve found that something powerful and magical happens when you sharpen your focus through writing.

In this post, I want to introduce a simple method I use to navigate and refine my priorities.

Keeping and visiting your mental focus

At the core of this method is a note I keep called ‘My mental focus atm.’ It’s my space for reflection and honing my mental attitude, divided into areas like ‘relationships,’ ‘work,’ ‘family,’ and ‘leadership.’ At the bottom, I keep old items for quick reference. Each area has a few bullet points. Some examples:

• Family
  • Be more attentive to my kids in the early morning hours
  • It’s ok that I plan time to do things on my own
  • Appreciate the beauty in simple, everyday experiences
• Work
  • Avoid being sucked into day to day operations and instead focus on long-term impact
  • Practice single-tasking to enhance concentration and productivity
  • Grab the opportunities instead of waiting on something to happen
• Health
  • Prioritize activities that promote harmony between mind and body
• Hobbies
  • Approach setbacks as lessons to learn from rather than obstacles to overcome
• Relationships
  • Invest time and effort in relationships that align with your values

When aiming to develop or change a habit, you express your intention to change. When keeping this list, you describe how that intention is reflected in your actions.

You might feel tempted to turn towards creating goals. But this isn’t about setting goals; it’s about guiding your mental focus by narrowing in on mental states and attitudes.

More from me Achieve Lasting Change by Living as Your Future Identity

When I feel lost or off-track mentally, I turn to this list. It’s a quick way to sync up on my priorities and focus areas. The purpose is to regain control over your focus. If there’s a misalignment, I spend 15 minutes realigning myself with my areas and rewriting if necessary. Don’t be afraid to change or discard items; in fact, it’s encouraged. Update the file at least monthly to keep it a genuine reflection of your priorities.

‘Stretch priorities’

As you get comfortable with the file, you can start stretching your priorities. Instead of focusing on what to do today, give yourself some ‘stretch priorities’ that challenge you personally. These priorities are about developing your personality and identity in line with the person you aspire to become. They act as catalysts for personal development.

More from me: Focus On Your Values, Not Big-Picture Goals

‘Stretch priorities’ are exactly why this method is a great companion to help you change your habits. When aiming to develop a new or change a habit, you express your intention to change. When keeping this list, you describe how that intention is reflected in your actions.

Remember, this isn’t about rigid goal-setting; it’s about nurturing the right mindset and cultivating powerful attitudes that propel us forward.