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create the life you want

2 Secrets to a Purposeful & Productive in 2020

February 12, 2020 by Edie Wadsworth 3 Comments

Do you feel like you NEVER get your tasks and chores done in a day? Are you overwhelmed by your life and to-do list. I have good news!

I just turned 50 (go ahead and let that Sally O’Malley skit run in your head) and I finally have learned how to get everything done in a day that I want to get done. How? I think there are two tools that help me more than anything. So grab your coffee or tea and let’s dig in deep.

What are the two things that you need to do in order to reach your goals for 2020, in order to become the future self that you want to become? Focus and failure.

Why we can’t focus

We live in a literal sea of distractions. If you want to be distracted, distractions are everywhere, and even if you don’t want to be distracted, and even if you’re trying your best not to be distracted, you have to work really hard to not be distracted. One of the concepts that really helps me with focus is time blocking or time batching, batching the items you have to accomplish together or blocking your time in order to get it done!

With learning how to really focus, part of the beauty of focusing is that you get into the focus zone,and everything goes faster. It takes less time.

Time blocking

It takes me a while to get set up. When I am prepping for recording or LIVE videos there is alot to set up: lights, video, regular camera set up, there’s a lot happening! But, when I set it all up, I want to be sure I am filming several videos. I don’t want to do my set up, complete one video, break down and do it all again tomorrow.

No, while I’ve got it all set up and ready, I want to do it all at one time, to really help with productivity. Are you blocking or batching your items together? I do the same with phone calls and internet messages and meal prepping.

Do time blocking so that when you’re in the mode of that particular task, you’re in the mode and you’re doing it and you can do it faster and faster. This will definitely sky rocket your productivity if you can teach yourself to do it.

The beauty of it is that when I’m home in the afternoons with my family, it’s family time and house time. I love to focus and really be present there as well. How can I really, really enjoy being with them? If I’m not trying to do my work from earlier.

When it’s family block—that specific block of time where I’m with my family, that’s what I really want to focus on. I’m thinking about my house and how it could be organized better and what could I speed clean really quickly. Or what food I’m making. Or playing Go FISH with my 7 year old.

Batching your things together, blocking your time, really will help you focus.

A lot of times if you’re going to randomly do one thing that takes a significant amount of concentration and focus, it’s hard to get into the mode of doing that. It always takes me a while to warm up. If I’m doing some serious writing, then it takes me a little while to get warmed up. I don’t want to do that for 10 minutes and then move on to something else. So I want to stay in the zone.

If I’m not careful, I will get so easily distracted. I love all the rabbit holes. I am such a squirrel at heart and I love shiny things. I can get sucked down every rabbit hole. So if I just say to myself, “For this two hours, this is what I’m doing.” then I am more apt to accomplish what I set out to do.

In the mornings, I have a block of time from 5:00 to 7:00 AM. I am kicking it from 5:00 to 7:00 AM y’all! I’m getting so much work done. Part of the reason why I’m getting so much work done is because it’s quiet and nobody else is up.

The second reason is because I’m focused on similar tasks, so I’m doing some writing, creating posts, planning my time & day. I feel like that two hours is golden for me. It’s so golden.

When that two hours is up, it’s Thomas time and we get in the mode of getting up and out for school and ready for errands, you’ve got to be able to switch gears and when that happens, I’m all in for that particular gear!one.

It’s all about really giving your whole heart and your whole time and attention to the task you are actually focused on.

When it’s after school and it’s family and dinner time, I love that. I love making food and I love family time. But focusing on really being present there, not trying to write an email when I’m making dinner. Listen, chicken thighs need your full attention y’all. And I’m not perfect at it, but I really work to do one thing at a time well

I feel like it allows me to work faster and be more productive, not so that I can be a workaholic, but so that when it’s 3:30 and I need to change gears, I can.

This process of batch working and blocking time is not so that I can just keep working all day, NO, it’s so that I don’t, so that I have time for all the different things that bring me more creativity. It’s so I can sit down and knit or sit down and read a book and I don’t feel guilty because I worked like crazy during those three hours that batched and blocked time.


This is really one of my TOP secrets to accomplishing what I want to accomplish with my life, to really getting the most done in the shortest amount of time. It’s magical. Focus is key.

Being willing to fail

The second thing that I think is key to creating the life you want is being willing to fail.

And I hate to say it like this, but this is almost how I think about it, you all, I look at some of the big things that I want to accomplish this year and it scares me, I’m not going to lie, kind of scares me.

One of them is to run a half marathon. I have a torn ACL. Running half marathon feels scary. Why would I say that in public that that’s one of my goals? Because it gives me some accountability and because if I don’t do it, I know that I can trust myself with that failure. I know that I’m not going to make it mean something crazy or I’m a terrible person or that I can’t trust myself.

One of the keys to getting what you really want in your life is to be willing to feel the negative feelings that come with failure.

Failure just means you get to feel icky for a little while, like, “I said, I was going to do that and I didn’t. And so it’s just an icky feeling. Being willing to trust yourself with an icky feeling will allow you to have amazing things and do amazing things in your life because you’re willing to fail.

So when I fail at something, I don’t make it mean that I’m a terrible person. It just means I was willing to put myself out there, that I was willing to try something that didn’t work, that I was willing to be out of my comfort zone. Yay me.

The willingness to fail is so huge because so many times we don’t try things that we want to do because we’ve failed before. No, it’s probably not going to work out the first time you try it, or the second or the third. But the 12th time is magic! Are you willing to try something 12 or 20 times? Are you willing to fail to succeed?

Just being willing, almost anticipating the failure as a way to know that you’re doing something.


Here’s one way that I have been able to re-frame this in my own life. So as you know, if you’re on my email list, I send emails on Tuesday. So before I did all this mindset work about failure, I was always a little bit scared to send emails. You know why? Because people unsubscribe. And as soon as I would send an email, so I do all this writing, all this work, make myself vulnerable and tell a story, and finally press send on the email. And in the first 20 emails that I get back are people unsubscribing. They’re like, “No, not going to read that. No, don’t care about that.”

I used to allow it to get in my head because sometimes the email would be something really personal, maybe about Thomas or about my marriage or about one of my kids or whatever. I would take it so personal. I would make it mean something about me.

WHAT I DO NOW is that I write the email and I say, “I hope at least 20 or 30 people unsubscribe because first of all, they’re probably not my people.

Secondly, it means I’m writing emails, because you know what I used to do? Not write emails. That was my answer. I don’t want to get unsubscribes, so my answer is to not write emails.

Guess who gets helped when I shut up and don’t do what I’m supposed to do with my life? Zero people. But guess what happens when I put myself out there? People leave or reject or criticize and I have to learn to be okay with that, to welcome it, even.

Expect it, it’s good because it means you’re doing it. If I don’t do my work, nobody criticizes my work. When I do my work, people criticize and people unsubscribe. That is fine.


Are you willing to re-frame what that failure means? The failure means you’re doing it. It means you’re doing it!

So can you really teach yourself how to focus?

Can you create these sacred little time batches or time blocks that allow you to do what you really want to do with your life?

Can you, once you start doing what you want to do with your life and what you’re called to do with your life, can you re-frame what it means when you fail or when people don’t like it or when you feel rejection or when you feel like all of that work for nothing?

Here’s my answer: I will send that email to you with so much love, with all my heart. I will pour myself into it. I will send it with love. I will give you something that I think will help you. I will offer you something that I think might be good for you. And if a bunch of people don’t like it, I will know that I’ve done my job.

I want you to re-frame what failure means. It will look different for you, but I want you to re-frame it and I want you to really do those two things this year, this month, this week, even today, focus and failure.

  • Can you create pockets of focus?
  • Can you re-frame what it means when you fail?

If you can do those two things, it’s going to be a good year. I’m so excited, so excited about what is possible for all of us when we are willing to focus and fail.

Here’s my video on this topic!

What have YOU focused on or FAILED at recently?!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: create the life you want, how to focus, intentional living

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💕💕I help women heal & rediscover their purpose & calling.💕💕 Click below for my free purpose field guide!

Dr. Edie Wadsworth|Lifeingrace
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“Do not waste time bothering whether you “love “Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone you will presently come to love him.” – C.S. Lewis
Grab your coffee because you do NOT want to miss t Grab your coffee because you do NOT want to miss this behind the scenes chat. ❤️❤️❤️

Me and a couple of my brave friends taught a class this week called Lucy Libido.  It’s in my private group but I’m downloading it so I can send it to you if you want it. It’s THE ACTUAL BEST.  Especially when you watch the faces of @candacecrabtree  and @kellylynam  as I teach.  Lemme know in the comments if you want the link by showing me your most used emoji❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Almost exactly 21 years ago today, we ran our first half marathon together in Strawberry Plains.  Right before  the race started , in the front seat of his Honda Accord, he gave me a steroid shot in my foot so I could actually complete the race. Don’t worry, he’s also an excellent podiatrist. The race folks passing by our car didn’t know that though. 😂🕺🏻 

The whole race he kept telling me to keep a steady pace. “You keep running really fast for a while and then slowing way down.” Little did he know that he was witnessing the cautionary tale of life with me. There’s 100 miles a hour and there’s in bed with my biomat.  I don’t have the steady pace gear setting.  Thankfully, he does and keeps me from running myself into the ground. I like to think I keep him entertained with my flashes of crazy woman intensity.  At least that’s what I tell myself. 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼

Give me a ❤️ in the comments if you and your honey pie are exact opposites.  Happy love weekend.
As a physician and a long time skeptic of almost a As a physician and a long time skeptic of almost anything “natural,” including my hair color 😂😍, I’m no stranger to doubts and confusion and lackluster results around essential oils. And by the way, nobody thought they were WEIRDER than me:)) I bought my first starter kit so my friend would stop telling me how much I was sure to love the oils.  In other words, so she’d  hush up about oils already. (😂love you forever @fieldstonehill )

Honestly, I thought it was the craziest thing I had ever paid good money for.

And as a certified skeptic who let her kit languish in the recesses of her china cabinet for a year, I hope to dispel a few of the myths that often surround oils so you can feel confident and empowered and EDUCATED to make these little gems part of your mama toolbox. We absolutely have no idea how we would live without them in our house. Just ask Stevie. 

So join me tomorrow for an  awesome online class where I shall bust the myths surrounding these little miracle drops.  Tell your friends, sisters, Momma's and bff's to join us for a fun, informative and jam packed online class!! I'll take you through the 7 Myths About Oils & the Truths that will surprise you ALONG with BONUS CONTENT about which oils you shouldn’t be without for use “after hours”💃🏼💃🏼🕺🏻🕺🏻

I’ll be streaming it live to You Tube at 
Noon tomorrow!!

Remember I’m giving away an EPIC diffuser tomorrow so comment below with your questions or thoughts about these unicorn tears or something you USED to think about oils before you actually tried them.  Your comment will enter you for the giveaway!!

Ps. I can’t  wait to share my own story with you about the absolute transformation those little bottles created in my own life🤓🍃💪🏼😍🤓

Pss. Giving a diffuser tour tomorrow in stories.  All 18 of them. 😳😱🥳🥳
Okay let’s play a game called how many diffusers Okay let’s play a game called how many diffusers does Ms Edie have going in her house on any given day??? (Not counting the ones in boxes in my Young Living hoard😂🤩)

Your guess will enter you for my giveaway of this AMAZING diffuser, only in white!! It’s actually still available for a VERY LIMITED time so grab it while you can!!

Also for your supreme entertainment, Tom did a polar plunge in the lake today at a chilly 35 degrees. Check out my stories for a good laugh😱❄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️
Let me brighten up your Monday with my favorite ra Let me brighten up your Monday with my favorite rainbow of magic plant juice!

This amazing diffuser (the one with the wood trim, which has been out of stock for EVER) has had a makeover and is now available in WHITE!!!!

AND???

I’m giving one away this week here on IG and here’s how you enter to win!

1. Like and comment on all 5 posts this week (Monday-Friday).

2. Comment on this post and tell me what your favorite YL product is OR what your curious about when it comes to oils or natural health.

3. TAG a friend on THIS post and if you end up winning the diffuser, I’ll send them the OTHER diffuser in this picture. (It’s called the Desert Mist and is also one of my FAVES!)

THAT is all.

Yay for diffusers and plant juice and magic potions.

Happy MONDAY!!!!

Ps. This will likely sell out fast so if you are already with Young Living you should grab it soon and if you are not you can get a basic kit to get started and then that will allow you to order this diffuser. Message me here if you need help!! You can go to ediewadsworth.com to order through my link and get added to my private education group❤️
“We are above all things loved--that is the good “We are above all things loved--that is the good news of the gospel--and loved not just the way we turn up on Sundays in our best clothes and on our best behavior and with our best feet forward, but loved as we alone know ourselves to be, the weakest and shabbiest of what we are along with the strongest and gladdest. To come together as people who believe that just maybe this gospel is actually true should be to come together like people who have just won the Irish Sweepstakes. It should have us throwing our arms around each other like people who have just discovered that every single man and woman in those pews is not just another familiar or unfamiliar face but is our long-lost brother and our long-lost sister because despite the fact that we have all walked in different gardens and knelt at different graves, we have all, humanly speaking, come from the same place and are heading out into the same blessed mystery that awaits us all. This is the joy that is so apt to be missing, and missing not just from church but from our own lives--the joy of not just managing to believe at least part of the time that it is true that life is holy, but of actually running into that holiness head-on.”
― Frederick Buechner, Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons
2 years ago today, your world shattered into a mil 2 years ago today, your world shattered into a million pieces.

Sometimes I marvel at how we were blessed enough to be there holding you when it all came crashing down. I do know this—I can’t remember my life without you.

I do know that thousands of tears and meals and boo-boos and toy trucks later, we stand in awe of you---your courage, your brave big boy fight, your tender little boy heart, your hilarious old man ways. 

We know how sacred this walk with you is and we don’t take it lightly.

We are here for it all and we couldn’t be more grateful.

We have always loved you and you have always been our special gift.

 Love you little one. Let’s keep listening for Aslan. He will find a way to put everything back together. 

“Herein lies the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid.”
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