Day 3–100 Days To Becoming An Online Course Instructor
How to remain focused
Day 3.
I had an interesting moment yesterday when I interviewed the first person on my list of target audience members. I asked them what they would like to see in an emotions based course, what outcomes they would be after, what format and so forth. To my delight, nearly all of their answers aligned with my ideas for the course.
So, with 100% of my interviewed target audience members reinforcing that my original plan for my course was “right”, I was ready to jump in, build the course and make it happen. I loved being “right”.
Never mind that 100% of my interviewed target audience equalled one person. Never mind that “right”, in this case, is an opinion. I felt validated and ready to run off down a path of creating a course to completion after having received feedback from only one person.
Perhaps it might be useful for me to learn about focus.
Knowledge
What would help me to take the action of having a focused mindset? Normally, I would check in on my way of being — see Day 2. This time, I felt as though it would be really helpful for me to know more about focus. I wanted actual knowledge that could be found in a book.
I came across “Catching Confetti: Developing the Mindset of a Champion” by Bret Burchard and Chris McAlister. The following resonated:
Having a Focused Mindset does not mean you have a rigid expression of self-discipline. It’s not a furrowed eyebrow or crinkled forehead. It’s the ability to find clarity in the heat of the battle. It’s the ability to quiet your mind in the craziness of circumstances.
My mind is always chattering. Each piece of chatter can lead my mind down a different path. Often, I find that what started as the mental equivalent of a quick walk to the shops has become a full-blown mountain climb without me realising. As I read the quote from Bret and Chris, I had visions of me walking through the chaotic chattering of my mind, arms out in front, parting the noise, until I finally arrive at the serenity of clarity. It felt beautiful. Peaceful. Doable.
Bret and Chris also talked about the distraction of comparison. Although I haven’t yet started to compare myself with anyone on this latest journey, I have been known to do so in the past. And so the following quote resonated, with one minor edit: I generally find that any shame and pressure that I feel from comparing myself with others comes from my own self-judgment. I do not believe it is placed on me by others. This is important for me to acknowledge because it helps me to own and be accountable for who I am being.
When you are driven by shame and the pressure of others, you will be distracted by comparison. Comparison has one benefit and many costs. The example of others can show you possibilities you didn’t see before, but comparing your story to their story or your position to their position can derail you. It leaves you chasing fantasies.
So the two main pieces of knowledge that I obtained about remaining focused are:
- Search through the chaos of a chattering mind for the serenity of clarity
- Comparison with others is a distraction
How will I apply this knowledge?
There are two exercises that Bret & Chris talk about to develop a focused mindset. My interpretation of those exercises is:
- Write your affirmation statement — this is about understanding self-talk and identifying core fears. The recommendation is to write an affirmation statement that calms your fear.
- Build your identity space — Visualise (with eyes closed) your identity space. Use deep belly breaths to lead your mind to a place that you feel safe and taken care of. Notice what you see, hear, and feel. Imagine writing a word or phrase to yourself and then make this a part of you. Watch it become you. Bret & Chris suggest playing before leaving this space — do an activity explore, go on an adventure. Their recommendation is to feel what it is like to delight in being you.
I am still exploring these. I want to live them and make them a practice and to do that, I want to first make them my own. They were a great starting point for my shift to a focused mindset.
What I Have Learnt
What I have learnt from reading about focus is to be at peace with who I am. That feels a little random. It is, however, what I have learnt.
For now, I do have a chatty mind that sometimes leads me off track. That’s ok. Be aware of it, accept it and search for the serenity of clarity when it would help me to do so.
Further, being at peace with myself means that I don’t have to compare myself with others. We won’t be alike because I am not them and they are not me. We are all at different stages of this game of life. And that’s fine.
My final piece of learning is that I can have “go easy days” as long as I stick to the process and remain focused. It is Saturday here. I work full time, we have family things to do, and I am a little tired after a relatively big week. I will focus on my goals for this weekend, and I will achieve them. However, I am going to set goals at a pace that takes care of me. It is ok not to force myself. It is ok to be kind to myself.
My goal during the next couple of weeks is to contact people about interviews and complete those interviews. I don’t have a set number per day, and I don’t have a definite date. The goal is basically “get this done during the next couple of weeks, and be kind to yourself while you are doing it”. That might sound vague. It is where I am at. This is about persistence and progress. It is not about pressure, and I don’t want to place myself in a position where I resent the process. I’m going at this with self-kindness.
Progress
On Day 3, I have:
- Emailed five people about interviews. This means that I have contacted seven people in total, with one interview completed, one scheduled and two in the process of being scheduled.
- Made note of the feedback from the first interview.
3/3/100 (Days on track / Days gone / 100) I am now 3% of the way through, and still on track.
References
Burchard, Bret, and Chris McAlister. Catching Confetti: Developing the Mindset of a Champion. SightShift Publishing LLC, 2020.
Take Me To The Previous Day or The Next Day