Every day our attention is pulled in a million directions. To-do lists, both personal and work, family, friends, and even random errands, take up valuable brain real estate. It can be challenging to cut through the excess and give your attention to what really matters. Keep reading for the four things that you should be giving some attention to every day.

1. On a Goal
You most likely have at least one goal that you are currently working on. Choose one goal to focus on every day. Focusing on a specific goal every day will allow it to stay in the forefront of your mind and ensure that you spend time working on it. Remember that breaking up big goals into smaller steps will allow you to spread the work over time.

2. On the Now
Allowing your mind to dwell on the past is of little use to your current situation. The past is over, and you can’t change it. Focus on what is happening right now in your life, what you need to accomplish, and on the good things you have to reflect on. Keeping your mind present is a better use of your time. If you look in the rear view mirror of your life, you go nowhere. You can’t move ahead looking backward.

3. On the Task at Hand
This is important for all tasks that you must complete, but it can be difficult. Losing yourself to a task is something that typically only happens when you really enjoy what you’re working on. However, with practice, you can learn to tune out distractions and find your flow. If something is really bothering you and stopping you from focusing, find out what it is and deal with it. Unresolved issues take lots of energy away from focus.

4. On the Positive
Don’t let your mind fall down the tunnel of negativity and what-if thoughts. It’s literally a dead-end road that will take you nowhere. Focusing on the positives of a situation and in general, will do two things. First, it will keep your spirits up when times are tough, and you feel like giving up. Second, positive thoughts manifest more positive thoughts, which in and of itself is motivating.

Honing your thoughts in on specific tasks, aspects of life, and what you want out of your future is a process that takes time to work on. Your mind, like any muscle, works best when you train it regularly. Focusing on the items listed above daily will help train your brain to go to those items on its own, eventually turning you into a lean, mean, focusing machine.