We live in an age of endless distraction and loss of focus. When I have a bad week, typically it is not because I did not work hard or apply myself to good things. The week was wasted because I was distracted and did not accomplish what I truly desired.

I absolutely hate the feeling that I dropped the ball. It makes my stomach churn just thinking about how awful it feels. It can happen at the end of the day when I get home and realize I forgot to pick up the missing ingredient for dinner. It can happen at the end of the week when I missed the deadline of an important project at work. It can happen at the end of the month when I neglected to set aside time to connect with a close friend or family member. It can happen at the end of the year when I fall short of the goals that I set.  My ultimate fear is that it will happen at the end of my life. Will I end up looking back and realizing that I could have done so much more?

This monthly blog series will focus on practical steps to clear your mind so that you can focus on what is important. If you feel like you are spinning your wheels in a world of distraction, then join me each month to apply practical advice to hit the mark at the end of the day, week, month, and year. I will be putting these steps into practice alongside you because this battle is real in my life every day.

Practical tip #1. Get more sleep. When I do not get enough sleep, balls get dropped. I am willing to bet you do the same. There are a million tips and tricks to help you get more sleep and better sleep. To me, the method does not really matter, so to keep this short, just get more sleep. One full month of good, consistent sleep has the potential to radically rewire our minds to think clearly and be present. Good luck and get some sleep.