If you receive our newsletter, you may have noticed the empowering quote from Winston Churchill: “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” I know that many of you may have a goal that you’ve been working towards for a while. But when you reach that goal you can end up feeling lost. The danger of that, is that you’ll freeze and lose focus, feeling unsure what to do next. If you’re to maintain that success, you need the courage to continue and that means building your awareness and maintaining focus. This blog will show you how to do both.

Awareness

Awareness is something we all think we’re good at but sometimes we don’t know what’s staring us in the face because we are too close to the situation. To be aware of what is going on around us at home or in our business we must first be aware of ourselves, but in this crazy world how can we be self-aware?

1. Take 5 Minutes Out Of Every Day

Even if it’s before you get out of bed, listen to your body, ask it questions and feel the answers. For example, if you’re feeling stressed, ask your body “What is stressing you?” Don’t answer it in your head amongst the mile long to do list, feel it and listen, you might be surprised by the answer.

2. Allow Your Thoughts To Flow

But don’t hold on to them. Let them go. If you start to try and figure them out or start judging yourself based on your thoughts, you’ll lose awareness and will no longer be in the moment. How many times have you had a brainwave when you were doing something else? When your head was not full of other thoughts? By consciously spending time in the present moment, acknowledging but letting go of those thoughts, you can become much more self-aware while allowing room for inspiration and creativity to come through.

3. Be Present 

Not just physically in the here and now but also in your mind. Be aware of how a situation changes you and/or your emotions, even just a fraction. Try not to judge something until you’ve truly felt it.

“You will then feel something more powerful than any of those things that you observe: the still, observing presence itself behind the content of your mind, the silent watcher.” – Eckhart Tolle

Once you become more aware of yourself in these ways you will become more aware of those around you and how they feel.

Focus

These techniques will also help you focus. In a world where there are constant distractions – children, friends, Facebook, the latest episode of Game of Thrones, it is easy to become distracted and keep pushing the important stuff you should be doing to the back of the queue.

1. Set A Schedule

This is easily said but how often do we stick to it? Always over estimate how long it will take you to do something, so a simple task like checking and replying to emails probably only takes 10 minutes but schedule 30. This takes the pressure off thinking “I have to be quick at doing this” and going into panic mode.

2. Use A Tech Block

You can get them for phones and laptops, and you can block out those distractions during periods in the day rather than jumping to look at another video of your neighbour’s baby laughing or Jason Momoa throwing an axe topless. As exciting as both these things seem, as a mum or mumpreneur I’m sure there are other things you would prefer to be doing!

3. Capture Your Thoughts

Those pesky thoughts and ideas that creep in while you’re doing something or remembering something else to do – keep a pen and paper to hand and jot them down. It will stop you worrying about what you’ve forgotten.

4. Check Your Environment

Design it for the mood you wish to feel. If you want to be cheerful use bold colours. Prefer to feel calm and relaxed? Then think about accessorising with pastel colours. You can also choose music to suit too.

5. Eat Dark Chocolate

I kid you not! Dark chocolate has been scientifically proven to help concentration. There is lots of science on it but I’m not going to bore you with it – just eat some dark chocolate and move on. You have your excuse!

Once you have improved your awareness and increased your focus, you’ll be able to start thinking about what you can do next to create a legacy or inspire a future generation. For now, share with me which of these tips you’ll be trying (other than the chocolate, that’s a given!).

Start your journey today – achieve confidence, balance and clarity for an easier, happier life!

Empowering Mums is on a mission to empower a million mums and mumpreneurs just like you with greater confidence, balance and clarity to activate your infinite capabilities within! Enabling you to enjoy an easier, happier life alongside running a highly successful business. Aligned with enjoying time out for an essential self-care routine that fulfils your own needs and delight in quality time spent with your children being the mum you really want to be!

For further support please contact Empowering Mums today on 01606 334 015, alternatively visit our website at www.empoweringmums.com for more information.