For the first blog post and YouTube video of the year, I like to give some big, bold macro advice that will kick off the new year right. For many, the new year is a good reset, and it's not only about listing out a bunch of goals that don't have meaning. Ambitious people look at what they're doing and how they can improve.

Rather than a list of vague wishes, it's important to look at what needs to improve.
I have decided that focus is necessary for success. Here is the caveat: Focus is deploying resources such as time, money, energy, and other resources into your goals and not spending them on things that hold you back or even hurt you.

It takes resources to accomplish any goal. The more resources you spend on your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them. There are infinite ways that you could invest or even waste your personal resources.

There are people who are fighting for your time, money, and other resources. If you're not careful, you can spend endless time going down an internet rabbit hole. You can spend time worrying about everything that's wrong in the world. You can waste time on people who don't elevate you, or you can put those resources to good use by investing in yourself.
Realize that your resources are limited and when you focus on one area of your life, you are taking away from the rest of your life.

Determine Your Priorities
Determine your priorities around your family, your personal life, your mental and physical wellbeing, and your friends and recreation. Then determine the key activities that need to be executed.
Practically speaking, if you want to improve your parenting, determine what activities you need to engage in, what discussions you need to have with your spouse or your kids, what boundaries you need to set, etc. If you want to move up in your career or even take on a new creative project, determine what steps and habits you need to adopt. Do you need to spend time engaging in personal development? Do you need to engage your colleagues differently? If you need to take on a new creative project, how much time do you need to focus? What needs to happen to make that a reality? If you want to have better friendships, what does that look like?

Distractions vs. Respite
One nature of distractions is that they can steal your focus because distractions suck up your resources with little or even negative results. Distractions take up time by hijacking the resources that are meant for other things. There is a nuanced difference between distractions and respite. We all need respite—time away from our obligations, time to recharge.

Before you focus on your goals, it's important to clearly define them. Many people have a vague idea about what they want and go with the flow. Even if somebody clearly defined their goal and is pursuing it, they can get caught up in going through the motions. In this case, they have to look at what's working, what's not, and what needs to change. This is a pause and a check-in.

Focus on the Process
After you get in touch with your goals, it's important to focus on the process of getting there. A process can be defined as a group of decisions, habits, and actions that need to be executed with consistency. For a writer, it might be getting one thousand words on a page every week plus everything else that needs to be done. For someone who needs to get fit, it might be exercising and eating right. If you want to have a better marriage, it might be communicating more or even sending flirty texts. If you want to be a better parent, it might be setting boundaries, making your kids more of a priority, and even asking them to go for a walk.

Oftentimes, the work is not the hard part. Oftentimes, the hard part is being focused on what needs to be done and not being seduced by all the distractions that can hijack your goals.
Take a look at what you're doing and why. Is it the best use of your resources, or are you just busy for the sake of being busy?

Focus means being hyper-intentional with your precious resources. The goal is to maximize the investment you make into your life.