3 Quick Fixes For More Focus in 2025
From intentions -> simple questions -> ways to structure your day
Struggling to stay focused on your goals? You’re not alone, and the problem isn’t you, it’s your system.
Most of us start the year with a list of good intentions, but they quickly fall apart. Why? Because we try to do too much, rely on endless to-do lists, and ignore simple ways to structure the day.
The good news? There’s a better way. Small, intentional shifts can help you focus, stay consistent, and actually feel good about what you accomplish.
Here are 3 quick fixes for more focus in 2025:
Decide on the 1 thing
Ditch your to-do list
Develop a ritual
These ideas aren’t complicated, and they work: from the ultra-productive people I learnt these from (Gary Keller, Oliver Burkeman, Cal Newport), for me and for my clients.
Here we go 👇
1. Decide On The One Thing
The beginning of the year is full of intentions.
The problem we all know too well is: it's easy to make them, but difficult to keep them.
The bigger problem under the surface: many of these things don't truly matter to you. They're a scattered collection - a wish list of nice-to-haves, fleeting dreams, the influence of other people's priorities, or the latest inspiration absorbed from social media.
Yes, it would be nice to have all of these things, but nice is not enough for them to become a reality.
So what you need is a filter to distil what truly matters to you.
One of the best filters I know:
What's the one thing that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary? (credit: Gary Keller)
Here are 11 more questions to help you focus on your one thing.
But does it have to be one thing only? Yes and No.
Yes, having one thing is an intentional forcing function. You set limits for yourself. It's like having a deadline for your project, a recurring transfer to your savings account, getting to the gym to work out. These constraints help you get what you want.
But, no, life would be sad (and a recipe for tragedy) if all you did was focus on one thing. Here's how you can have both:
Decide on the one thing for each area of your life at any given time.
What are your 3-5 life areas? For example: your relationship, family, friends, health, personal development, work/business. Define these life areas so they make sense to you.
Are some of these life areas more important right now? Prioritize them.
What's the one thing that matters most in each of these areas right now? For example: waking up at a certain time, going to the gym x times p. week, completing a project.
Doing one thing in each of your life areas gives you clarity while not being obsessive. And in a few weeks or months, once you've accomplished the one thing, you can reshuffle the priority of your life areas and pick a new 'one thing' for each of them.
Now, that you have decided, you need to implement.
That's where the next idea comes in.
2. Ditch Your To-Do List
Ditch your to-do list. Or don't just yet: a to-do list is a great way to collect tasks, ideas or intentions.
But working from a to-do list is being slave to unfiltered tasks, ideas or intentions.
Yes, you could prioritize your to-do list. But if yours looks anything like mine, all you do is pioritize and never implement.
So here's an alternative: your to-do list becomes a capture tool. Everything that comes your way lands there in one place: ideas, tasks, book recommendations etc. It's a source, but you don't work straight from it.
Instead, every day you decide what to do. And two key inputs are: your one thing per life area (see above) and your collection tool (previously: 'to-do list').
I'm using the 3-3-3 Method by Oliver Burkeman. Every day you do:
Three hours of deep work on your most important project
Three priority tasks which can be shorter to-dos but are still aligned with your 'one things'
Three maintenance tasks to keep your life running smoothly (e.g. taxes, replying to an email)
Again, the method helps set limits. It's a daily reminder and intention of what to focus on. You get it done (at least more often than a to-do list which never ends) and can feel good about it.
Talking of daily intention, have you actually done the 3-3-3 things you set out to do? Life happens and we get sidetracked. Sometimes that's nice, sometimes not, but in any case we can learn from it.
And that's where we get to the third idea.
3. Develop A Ritual
Setting your priorities with 3-3-3 is part of a daily ritual. The other part: reviewing and closing the day.
Here’s the truth: How you end your day sets the stage for the next. You don't just check off tasks. You reflect on your progress and learning and cultivate gratitude.
One way to do this is by creating a simple end-of-day ritual. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, just consistent. Write your thoughts down.
Here's a structure to start with:
Review Your Habits and Priorities
Did you follow through on the things you set out to do today? Check in with your 3-3-3 or your “one things” in each life area.
What went well? Celebrate your wins, even the small ones.
What didn’t go as planned? Reflect without judgment. Did something important derail you? Or was it just a lack of focus or energy?
Reflect on questions that are important to you personally, e.g.:
Where can I be more curious?
Where did I bring out the best in someone else?
What am I grateful for?
Plan tomorrow:
What’s the most important thing I want to achieve tomorrow? Perhaps set your 3-3-3 already, rather than in the morning (experiment with what works best)
Are there any obstacles I need to prepare for?
Shutdown:
A nice opportunity to celebrate or perform a habit you're building
Cross off or say "Shutdown complete" - silly, I know, but it's a ritual after all; make it your own
That's it:
Focus on the one thing that matters most in each area of your life to simplify your priorities.
Stop letting an endless to-do list control your day - use the 3-3-3 method to set clear, actionable limits.
End your day with a simple review ritual to reflect, plan, and recharge for tomorrow.
Experiment with it and let me know how it goes.
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