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Did you know that on average we’re
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interrupted every 8 minutes? Knowing this
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how can we reclaim our focus and live
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with more intentionality hello everyone
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and welcome back I’m Craig Booker in
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today’s fastpaced world distractions are
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everywhere from constant notifications
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to the pressure of being busy it’s
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become harder than ever to stay focused
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on what truly matters but what if I told
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you that by Master ing your focus you
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could transform your life and deepen
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your relationships in this episode we’ll
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discuss the epidemic of distraction
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we’ll highlight the importance of focus
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and how it can be used for a catalyst
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for change we’ll explore strategies for
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improving your focus so whether you’re
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struggling with distraction trying to
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improve your focus or simply want to
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grow this episode is for you let’s talk
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about
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distraction what are common sources of
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distraction today if you think about it
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as a society we’re more distracted than
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ever and maybe it’s the phone buzzing in
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your pocket or that notification that
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just popped up on your computer screen
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it could be the ding of a new email or
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perhaps it’s not Tech related it could
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be a dog barking outside your window
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kids playing around nearby or perhaps
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the TV is is playing in the background
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in her book reset Deborah feda says that
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on average we experience an interruption
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every 8 minutes or 7 to eight times per
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hour why do we glorify
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busyness if you ask someone how they’re
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doing there’s a good chance they might
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respond with busy deor F says that
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what’s interesting is that we say it as
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though it’s a badge of honor to be busy
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as though being busy means you’re more
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important or valuable or desired or
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necessary than everyone else around you
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but what if it actually means the
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opposite of all this what if it means
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that we actually experience a less of
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the blessings of Life what if by being
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busy we end up being less focused and
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therefore less productive all right
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let’s talk some statistics on
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distraction a study mentioned in Deborah
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feta’s book reset said that the average
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person checks their phone every 12
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minutes while they’re awake can you
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believe that 71% of people never turn
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their phones off would it surprise you
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that 40% of people check their phones
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within 5 minutes of waking up it’s no
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wonder that we are constantly distracted
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right all right let’s talk about the
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importance of focus we’ve spent a lot of
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time talking about distraction at this
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point but what if Focus could be used as
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the Catalyst for change in her book
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reset Deborah F talks about this idea or
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this concept of the consequences of more
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you see in our
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society
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in a time when everything is broadcast
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on social media 24 hours a day we see
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all of these things from different
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people’s lives and it causes us to want
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more in all areas of our life we want
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more we want to gain more wealth we want
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more exposure to entertainment We Want
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More Travel we want more accomplishments
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in our career we want more of everything
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and what we have to understand is there
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are consequences
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to that idea of more
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everything what if instead we could
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create space for focus and personal
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growth how do we create the opportunity
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for focus is the real practical question
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before we get into that I want to talk
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about a story in the Bible That’s well
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known it’s in Luke 10: 40 and it’s the
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story of Martha and
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Mary it is the perfect illustration of
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busyness versus presence you see Martha
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was distracted while Mary was focused on
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what was important that was right in
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front of her I’m going to be reading
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Luke 10: 40 from the
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NLT it says but Martha was distracted by
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the big dinner she was
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preparing she came to Jesus and said
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Lord doesn’t it seem unfair to you that
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my sister just sits here while I do all
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the work tell her to come and help
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me I think all of us or many of us can
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relate to Martha
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Martha was doing a great thing she was
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trying to cook a wonderful meal for
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Jesus and people in her home hey sounds
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important to me
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right but you can you can sense the tone
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here of her
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frustration with Mary so keep that in
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mind we’re going to continue on with
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this story you see in our journey it is
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very easy for us in our desire to do
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more for Jesus that we miss spending
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time with him let me say that again it’s
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easy in our desire to do more for Jesus
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that we miss spending time with
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him let’s pick up in verse 41 and 42 of
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Luke chap 10 it says but the Lord said
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to her my dear Martha you are worried
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and upset over all these details there
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is only one thing worth being concerned
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about Mary has discovered it and will
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not be taken away from her so there’s a
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lot we can glean from this verse what I
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want to pick out is that Mary had
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discovered what was
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important and she was focusing on
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it Mary had discovered what was
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important and it says it will not be
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taken away from her in our pursuit of
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more of
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everything we are in a sense pursuing
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nothing you see
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when we find out what really matters
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like Mary did and we focus on it we
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create opportunities for
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Focus or let’s talk about the benefits
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of increased Focus we’ve talked about
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distraction a lot about distraction and
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we talked about using Focus as the
0:06:48.680,0:06:54.919
Catalyst for change so what do we get
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out of this effort that we’re putting in
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but first off we’re going to improve our
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productivity and efficiency we’re going
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to get better at what we do second we’re
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going to enhance relationships and
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connection if you think about it when
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we’re focused and we know the things
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that we need to spend the time on we can
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be better at what we’re doing and that
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will free up more time for deeper richer
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connections with other people third
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we’re going to have greater
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self-awareness of what’s going on with
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ourselves and how we’re growing and
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we’re going to experience more more
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personal growth and then fourth we’re
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going to have reduced Stress and Anxiety
0:07:34.560,0:07:40.120
what’s better than that that’s an
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awesome benefit to increase Focus all
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right so we’ve talked a lot about
0:07:41.400,0:07:46.400
distraction we’ve talked about using
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Focus as the Catalyst for change but we
0:07:46.400,0:07:52.800
haven’t given real practical examples or
0:07:49.680,0:07:54.759
strategies for mastering Focus so that’s
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what we’re going to do here keep in mind
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this is going to be high level stuff I’m
0:07:56.400,0:08:00.639
not going real deep on this but
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hopefully this gives you a starting
0:08:00.639,0:08:06.120
place first off we’re going to talk
0:08:02.960,0:08:08.440
about technology or you could call it
0:08:06.120,0:08:10.560
digital detox
0:08:08.440,0:08:12.919
techniques so I’m not talking about
0:08:10.560,0:08:14.800
anything extreme I’m just talking about
0:08:12.919,0:08:18.400
practical things that you can do to
0:08:14.800,0:08:20.520
regularly take breaks from technology so
0:08:18.400,0:08:23.479
here this could be setting boundaries
0:08:20.520,0:08:25.680
with technology and this is setting
0:08:23.479,0:08:28.199
boundaries is pretty broad uh we’ll get
0:08:25.680,0:08:30.080
into more details here so you could
0:08:28.199,0:08:33.479
create technology free
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zones and times so this could be at the
0:08:33.479,0:08:39.200
dinner table there’s no technology so
0:08:37.519,0:08:42.640
this could be with your family or this
0:08:39.200,0:08:45.320
could be with your significant other you
0:08:42.640,0:08:48.920
prioritize that time with them at the
0:08:45.320,0:08:50.839
dinner table you know maybe you say that
0:08:48.920,0:08:54.519
you know at a certain time every evening
0:08:50.839,0:08:57.080
you’re going to stop using devices so
0:08:54.519,0:08:58.360
that you limit your blue light exposure
0:08:57.080,0:09:01.839
these are all healthy things that you
0:08:58.360,0:09:03.360
can do so next category is mindfulness
0:09:01.839,0:09:05.720
practices and we’ve talked about
0:09:03.360,0:09:07.480
breathing exercises and mindful
0:09:05.720,0:09:10.000
meditation with breathing so this kind
0:09:07.480,0:09:12.480
of overlaps a little bit but I would
0:09:10.000,0:09:15.120
start by looking for simple like
0:09:12.480,0:09:18.120
mindfulness meditation exercises that
0:09:15.120,0:09:20.279
you can start with maybe practicing
0:09:18.120,0:09:23.000
presence in daily activities and a part
0:09:20.279,0:09:26.680
of this overlaps with that technology
0:09:23.000,0:09:29.560
free zones that you’re deciding to be
0:09:26.680,0:09:32.839
present at the dinner table that that’s
0:09:29.560,0:09:34.079
a specific time of day in place and so
0:09:32.839,0:09:36.839
that’s just an example where that kind
0:09:34.079,0:09:39.680
of overlaps uh third category is
0:09:36.839,0:09:41.360
prioritization and time management now I
0:09:39.680,0:09:43.200
don’t really like these terms but this
0:09:41.360,0:09:47.279
is what a lot of people think of when
0:09:43.200,0:09:49.399
they think of like Focus or productivity
0:09:47.279,0:09:51.279
I really like the idea and I’ve said it
0:09:49.399,0:09:54.920
somewhere else that and I think I got it
0:09:51.279,0:09:57.240
from Deborah feda where we don’t manage
0:09:54.920,0:10:00.399
our time you can’t manage time you
0:09:57.240,0:10:04.360
manage your energy you manage your
0:10:00.399,0:10:07.640
resources uh but you don’t manage time
0:10:04.360,0:10:09.839
so before we get into like actual
0:10:07.640,0:10:13.000
techniques here it’s really important
0:10:09.839,0:10:14.760
that as an individual as a Believer and
0:10:13.000,0:10:17.160
a follower of Jesus that you know why
0:10:14.760,0:10:18.600
you’re put on here on this Earth because
0:10:17.160,0:10:21.200
if you don’t know that you’re going to
0:10:18.600,0:10:24.760
spend a lot of time chasing a lot of
0:10:21.200,0:10:27.640
unimportant things so I would highly
0:10:24.760,0:10:32.279
recommend going through a program or a
0:10:27.640,0:10:34.880
book like Kazo own by Craig Rochelle
0:10:32.279,0:10:37.360
because this will help you really spend
0:10:34.880,0:10:41.120
the time asking the right questions to
0:10:37.360,0:10:43.880
help you discover what God’s vision is
0:10:41.120,0:10:46.040
for your life it will help you discover
0:10:43.880,0:10:48.760
your strengths your talents your
0:10:46.040,0:10:51.440
different experiences that contribute to
0:10:48.760,0:10:55.200
who you are and who God is creating you
0:10:51.440,0:10:57.440
to be so I would invest time there in a
0:10:55.200,0:10:59.839
program like kazone this is going to
0:10:57.440,0:11:03.240
help you really clarify what you’re here
0:10:59.839,0:11:06.079
to do and this will in turn help you
0:11:03.240,0:11:07.800
identify truly important tasks and then
0:11:06.079,0:11:10.600
you’ll be able to implement techniques
0:11:07.800,0:11:11.920
like time blocking and then fourth the
0:11:10.600,0:11:14.320
fourth category is creating a
0:11:11.920,0:11:16.200
distraction free environment the longer
0:11:14.320,0:11:18.959
that I live the more I believe that your
0:11:16.200,0:11:21.560
environment matters so picking up
0:11:18.959,0:11:23.399
clutter having regular routines where
0:11:21.560,0:11:26.399
you’re decluttering your environment is
0:11:23.399,0:11:29.839
really important and then establish
0:11:26.399,0:11:31.079
routines that support your focus so
0:11:29.839,0:11:34.519
our
0:11:31.079,0:11:37.320
bodies with time and place they it’s
0:11:34.519,0:11:39.720
like automatic triggers so if you set up
0:11:37.320,0:11:41.760
a time that every Tuesday at a certain
0:11:39.720,0:11:44.399
time you’re going to spend time
0:11:41.760,0:11:46.480
journaling it will open up things in
0:11:44.399,0:11:48.839
your brain where you’re able to focus
0:11:46.480,0:11:50.800
and spend that time trying to accomplish
0:11:48.839,0:11:53.040
what you’re trying to do in your
0:11:50.800,0:11:55.320
journaling or if you’re trying to you
0:11:53.040,0:11:58.440
know write a book you know you set up a
0:11:55.320,0:12:00.760
time maybe twice a week where during
0:11:58.440,0:12:03.639
that time all your you’re doing is
0:12:00.760,0:12:05.920
writing so hopefully these are some good
0:12:03.639,0:12:07.920
highl ideas to get you started by
0:12:05.920,0:12:12.000
understand that they’re not really deep
0:12:07.920,0:12:14.720
in in the step 1 2 3 4 but hopefully it
0:12:12.000,0:12:16.720
it’s a good place for you to start okay
0:12:14.720,0:12:19.399
it’s that time again it’s my favorite
0:12:16.720,0:12:22.680
segment of the podcast it’s called take
0:12:19.399,0:12:25.680
action this week we are doing an
0:12:22.680,0:12:28.600
exercise that’s titled stay focused it’s
0:12:25.680,0:12:29.959
by Deborah feta it’s in her book reset
0:12:28.600,0:12:32.839
and we’re going to through each of these
0:12:29.959,0:12:36.240
questions and I encourage you to listen
0:12:32.839,0:12:38.639
through it the first time and then after
0:12:36.240,0:12:41.240
you’ve listened through it grab your
0:12:38.639,0:12:44.519
phone and open up your notes app or grab
0:12:41.240,0:12:46.680
your journal and a pen and Rewind it and
0:12:44.519,0:12:48.639
go through each of the questions and
0:12:46.680,0:12:50.800
work through it in your own time when
0:12:48.639,0:12:53.800
you have time to reflect all right let’s
0:12:50.800,0:12:56.760
get started so number one it has looks
0:12:53.800,0:12:59.760
like three parts to it part A is write
0:12:56.760,0:13:02.839
down three main distractions that come
0:12:59.760,0:13:06.160
up in your life on a regular basis okay
0:13:02.839,0:13:08.639
that’s part A Part B how do those
0:13:06.160,0:13:11.240
distractions get in the way of your
0:13:08.639,0:13:14.600
progress okay that’s Part B and then C
0:13:11.240,0:13:17.839
it says next to each distraction write
0:13:14.600,0:13:19.880
down one way you can alleviate minimize
0:13:17.839,0:13:23.120
or avoid the
0:13:19.880,0:13:26.240
distraction all right that’s one number
0:13:23.120,0:13:30.079
two when we this is a quote when we do
0:13:26.240,0:13:33.839
more we feel less
0:13:30.079,0:13:36.320
take a look at your life’s pace and
0:13:33.839,0:13:38.800
schedule and ask yourself if you’re
0:13:36.320,0:13:43.360
making space for healing so that would
0:13:38.800,0:13:46.959
be part A of number two part B would say
0:13:43.360,0:13:50.399
if so what is that look like and then
0:13:46.959,0:13:53.399
part C would be if not what can you do
0:13:50.399,0:13:54.800
to begin making space all right let’s
0:13:53.399,0:13:58.120
move on to number
0:13:54.800,0:14:02.600
three rewrite the one thing you had in
0:13:58.120,0:14:05.920
mind to grow change or heal at the
0:14:02.600,0:14:09.480
beginning of this book so at the
0:14:05.920,0:14:11.160
beginning of reset she talked about
0:14:09.480,0:14:13.360
writing something down so that’s what
0:14:11.160,0:14:16.440
she’s visiting here so it says rewrite
0:14:13.360,0:14:19.120
the one thing you had in mind to grow
0:14:16.440,0:14:22.240
change or heal at the beginning of this
0:14:19.120,0:14:25.519
book and then Part B of this the third
0:14:22.240,0:14:28.639
question is how have you stayed focused
0:14:25.519,0:14:31.120
on that portion of your life and then
0:14:28.639,0:14:33.560
part of number three is how have you
0:14:31.120,0:14:37.120
gotten distracted from that
0:14:33.560,0:14:40.079
goal all right moving on to number
0:14:37.120,0:14:43.839
four take some time to be deliberately
0:14:40.079,0:14:47.560
present today put aside distractions and
0:14:43.839,0:14:49.920
tune in to what’s going on inside of you
0:14:47.560,0:14:52.399
Savor the details of what’s happening in
0:14:49.920,0:14:55.920
the here and now with the people you
0:14:52.399,0:14:58.240
love and the god that you love tune in
0:14:55.920,0:15:01.440
to the sight sounds smells and
0:14:58.240,0:15:05.600
experiences is and capture the details
0:15:01.440,0:15:07.199
of your life right here and now and look
0:15:05.600,0:15:10.920
for God in
0:15:07.199,0:15:12.959
it so what I hope that you will do is
0:15:10.920,0:15:15.480
that you’ve listened through each of
0:15:12.959,0:15:20.160
these questions and now what I want you
0:15:15.480,0:15:22.600
to do is hit pause and Rewind it and go
0:15:20.160,0:15:26.240
through each of these with your notes
0:15:22.600,0:15:27.959
app or uh go through them with a journal
0:15:26.240,0:15:30.000
and a pen all
0:15:27.959,0:15:32.560
right let’s dig
0:15:30.000,0:15:35.800
in verse for
0:15:32.560,0:15:39.920
reflection this week we’re in Luke 10:
0:15:35.800,0:15:42.880
40 of the NLT but Martha was distracted
0:15:39.920,0:15:45.279
by the big dinner she was preparing she
0:15:42.880,0:15:48.560
came to Jesus and said Lord doesn’t it
0:15:45.279,0:15:52.199
seem unfair to you that my sister just
0:15:48.560,0:15:55.319
sits here while I do all the work tell
0:15:52.199,0:15:57.160
her to come and help me all right let’s
0:15:55.319,0:16:00.079
review what we’ve learned in this
0:15:57.160,0:16:02.120
episode we discussed this epidemic of
0:16:00.079,0:16:04.880
distraction we highlighted the
0:16:02.120,0:16:07.639
importance of focus and how Focus could
0:16:04.880,0:16:11.480
be used as a catalyst for
0:16:07.639,0:16:13.839
change we explored some strategies for
0:16:11.480,0:16:17.120
improving our
0:16:13.839,0:16:20.920
Focus keep in mind that change happens
0:16:17.120,0:16:23.600
best when we take small steps over time
0:16:20.920,0:16:27.120
no matter your past experiences it’s
0:16:23.600,0:16:30.160
possible to develop routines and
0:16:27.120,0:16:35.639
strategies to help you improve your
0:16:30.160,0:16:38.519
focus remember stay focused keep
0:16:35.639,0:16:42.199
experimenting to find out what works
0:16:38.519,0:16:48.040
best for you and watch your life change
0:16:42.199,0:16:50.839
as your small decisions to focus add up
0:16:48.040,0:16:55.000
if you’d like to dive in more to the
0:16:50.839,0:16:57.759
idea or the topic of breathing and
0:16:55.000,0:17:01.120
mindfulness meditation I’ll put a link
0:16:57.759,0:17:05.120
here in the video to another episode
0:17:01.120,0:17:05.120
where I discuss just that
