Have you ever had something happen to you that was so huge it took over your life and everything else seemed secondary?

An illness.

A family emergency.

A death.

In that moment, everything changes, and priorities are rearranged out of necessity.

Things that used to be important become less so, while we throw all our energy and resources and focus into solving the one big problem that is in front of us.

It doesn’t always have to be a crisis or life-or-death.

I remember after having my first baby, my world seemed to shrink – or expand, depending on how you look at it – to just me, my baby, and my husband (and sometimes, not even my husband).

Time slowed down.

My routine became pared down to the basics.

Feed baby.

Change baby.

Play with baby.

Put baby to sleep, and get some sleep myself.

Wake up.

Repeat.

I didn’t give much thought to other things – the household chores and cooking would have to take care of themselves somehow.

Personal preoccupations like how I looked, what to wear, keeping up with friends, and even thoughts of work – all these seemed so mundane and unimportant.

I had one focus only, and it was all that mattered.

By the time the second baby arrived, I was managing a child in kinder, daily pram walks to kinder, shops, and home, then adding the complication of driving / parking / getting pram and baby in and out of the car.

It’s incredible what you learn and how you grow as a person when you have to.

Which brings me back to my point.

There are times when it can be helpful to let everything else become secondary, so you can focus all your heart, mind, and soul on the ONE THING that matters, whatever that be.

Whether it’s your health, your passion project, your relationship with a loved one, or the state of your finances, tunnel vision for a limited time and a specific purpose, can be an antidote to overwhelm and the distraction that comes from trying to do too many things.

Don’t wait for a life-and-death situation to discover this truth.

Why not try it today on the one thing you must get done — and notice what happens?