5 RAD Things You Can Do Every Day to Increase Your Focus

How do you define a person who is focused? 

I personally believe that someone who is focused is insanely productive, sets high goals and doesn’t worry about anything. Focused individuals are go-getters, way-makers, and trend-setters - they have a higher expectation for themselves and the people around them. 

How do we show up every day and get more focused than the last? Well, I believe there are some rad things you can do each day that are very minimal, but have a huge impact. Behaviors and habits that you can establish in your day-to-day to enhance your focus and teach the next generation how to be just like you - focused and rad. 

So let’s talk about five small things we can do every day to improve ourselves and drive the mentality of what a hyper-focused individual does  - they take action, they work on themselves, and they’re so busy they don’t care about the monotony. 

In today’s world it is so easy to roll over when you wake up in the morning, turn off your alarm that is likely buzzing on your cell phone, and immediately dive into social media, email, the internet, and beyond. Do you ever wonder what that behavior does to your mentality for the day? I know from experience, it doesn’t make me happy reading emails at 4AM from a boss that were sent past 9PM at night. It’s like as soon as I open my phone I have put myself in a, well this day is garbage mentality. With that being said, try the habit of waking up in the morning and grabbing a book BEFORE you touch your technology. Set a goal number of pages to read in the morning, and make sure you hit that goal day over day. You’d be surprised what a shift you will start to feel from a productivity standpoint and happiness standpoint when you work on flexing your brain muscles before the monotony of technology that can really, well, wait until you’re more awake (and in a better headspace). 

Want to feel both in shock and alive at the same time? Step into your shower cold and stay there for a minimum of two minutes before you turn the heat up. If you’ve already started your day with a few pages of a good book, and you move into a cold shower, you’ll be surprised how awake you feel stepping out of it! Who needs coffee when you can read and then shell shock your body in cold temperatures. While I totally understand that cold showers are not the most enjoyable, they absolutely help you wake up in the morning. Besides, if you can muster a cold shower, then what else can you conquer in your day?

If you aren’t already doing it, take the time to get a 30-minute workout in a day. Whether it’s a walk, run, Crossfit, Bootcamp, you name it - taking the time to push yourself to move increases your blood circulation and will make you feel amazing. Working out can be fun too! I personally love taking 30-45 minute walks with my son Paxton and listening to his commentary on everything he sees. He gets a real thrill at pointing out any Jeep that drives by on our walk! My movement teaches him that it is a natural thing to move your body, and something that we just do every day, because we do.

Do you currently listen to any podcasts? It’s amazing how a 10-minute show can help refocus your brain and teach you something new or fun. There are podcasts on literally everything, so whether you want to be motivated, detox from stress, or even just listen to some funny humor - podcasts should become a part of your daily routine. Aim to listen to one a day and you never could learn quite a bit over the course of the year! 

This probably seems obvious, but no matter what time of year it is and how cold it is, try to get outdoors more. According to Ask The Scientists, being outside can reduce stress, increase immunity, calm the mind, improve your vision, and even help your short-term memory! I guess it shouldn’t be any surprise, as we need vitamin D! One way that I try to do this daily is by getting a walk in, while I am listening to a podcast. It helps me knock two things off of my list at once, and really helps me focus on what’s important. I usually like to throw on my favorite Little Rad Things tee, to match my little ones, get them in their double stroller and get to truckin'!

I do each of these five things every day, and it’s amazing how wonderful I feel after each one has been completed. I honestly knock most of them out in the morning, before starting my daily grind (work), and they help me maintain focus and knock out tasks like they’re easy! 

My favorite part of the five rad things to do above to stay focused, is that I do nearly all of them in front of my kids - so they get to see what a good pattern for a day is. Give them a try, and let me know what you think! 

Mads