The power of "most of the time"
Are you in it for the long haul?
It’s been way longer than “weekly-ish” since I sent my last email — where I talked about our hijacked attention and how our brains are conditioned for less focus with no time for deep thinking. (recap it here)
Chances are, you didn’t notice my absence. If you did — you lived through it!
When I sat down this week to continue my series on focus and its impact on our professional and personal pursuits, I couldn’t help but think about how doing things “most of the time” makes meaningful progress.
The past few weeks hit me hard — I moved out of my retreat house and prepped it for rental, had several speaking engagements out of town (personal branding for the win!) and caught some dreadful chest cold that knocked me completely off my workout routine for 2 weeks.
My mental health is dependent on those workouts (among other things) so that one hit particularly hard. When I finally made it back to the Peloton, that first session was rough—I felt weaker, somewhat winded, and wondered how long it would take to get my groove back.
But, by my third workout, I had already recovered most of my previous strength and endurance levels. My body remembered even though my mind had created a story that all was lost.
This physical reminder was exactly what I needed during a time when I've been thinking so much about focus, attention, and consistency.
Many of you reached out after my last email, sharing your own struggles with maintaining focus and wondering how to make meaningful progress when everything feels so urgent all the time.
But we don't have to be perfect to make progress.
In fact, the pursuit of perfection is often what derails us most.
The myth of hypervigilance has conditioned us to believe that we must always “be on,” respond to everything immediately, have an opinion on every issue, never miss a beat in our business or personal lives.
This is exhausting, unsustainable, and ultimately counterproductive.
What if we embraced the power of "most of the time?”
Research consistently shows that habits formed through consistent, imperfect action outlast those built on bursts of perfect effort; the majority of our results come from a minority of our actions; and brief periods of true presence and focus yield more than hours of divided attention.
So what does “most of the time” look like in practice?
Setting boundaries around your attention for 80% of your day, and allowing 20% for the unexpected
Being intentional with your morning routine most mornings (not every single one)
Creating content that resonates with your values regularly (not constantly)
Checking news and social media at designated times most days (not never or always)
It isn't about lowering your standards—it's about raising your sustainability.
The antidote isn't perfect focus; it's intentional focus.
When you free yourself from the pressure of doing everything perfectly all the time, you create space for the deep work and authentic connection that actually moves the needle in your life and business.
What one area of your life would benefit most from the "most of the time" approach?
If you're ready to transform your relationship with focus and build a more sustainable and strategic approach to your brand marketing (and life), I'd love to help.
xox,
Michelle
P.S. Remember that the goal isn't to reclaim every moment of your attention—it's to be intentional about where you direct it most of the time. That's where the magic happens.
I have several workshops on personal branding and why it's more important than ever in the next few months. I talk to groups of all sizes, so if you're interested, grab a time to chat.
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You are a great human. I’m thankful for you.
