{"id":942,"date":"2018-09-05T17:08:58","date_gmt":"2018-09-05T17:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/?post_type=project&p=942"},"modified":"2026-08-07T19:13:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:13:56","slug":"doing-vs-being-how-to-focus-your-efforts","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/doing-vs-being-how-to-focus-your-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Doing vs Being – How To Focus Your Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sometimes I find it hard to focus my actions. Then I stumbled on this method in a moment of inspiration and it has helped me immensely. Most of the time I ask myself, \u201cWhat do I need to be doing right now?\u201d It usually works pretty well. BUT, when faced with a family crisis or other hard situations, my mind goes blank and it\u2019s hard to know what I should be doing. So I tried asking myself, \u201cWhat do I need to BE right now?\u201d IF you can pin down what you need to be for someone else or for yourself or your goals, it becomes a lot easier to see the tasks you should do in order to be that.<\/div>\n
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For example, my dad found himself in the hospital and then in a long recovery from major surgery. What I needed to BE was a source of peace, hope and perspective. Therefore what I needed to DO was pack my guitar and go there in person; be an open and listening heart, offer perspective when asked, and bring hope and joy through music.<\/div>\n
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What do you need to BE for your purpose, goals and needs? What do you need to BE for those you love and for yourself? And therefore then, what do you need to DO?<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A brief method for focusing effort in difficult moments by asking what one needs to BE rather than what one needs to do, letting the desired way of being reveal the concrete actions to take.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":943,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[1886,1882,1883,31,1884],"project_tag":[542,53,541,111,89,543,153,70,57,80,197,285,284,228,87],"series":[],"class_list":["post-942","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-57challenges","project_category-business","project_category-couples","project_category-observations","project_category-society","project_tag-being","project_tag-choosing","project_tag-doing","project_tag-family","project_tag-friends","project_tag-guidance","project_tag-life","project_tag-love","project_tag-perspective","project_tag-presence","project_tag-self-discovery","project_tag-self-growth","project_tag-self-development","project_tag-tasks","project_tag-truth"],"acf":{"recommend_blurb":"For anyone frozen in a crisis, unsure what to do. A simple, powerful reframe, asking what you need to BE, that clarifies the right actions. Useful in family emergencies and everyday decisions alike.","citation_snippet":"Dr. Kathryn Messegee (Kathryn Colleen), \"Doing vs Being - How To Focus Your Efforts,\" https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/doing-vs-being-how-to-focus-your-efforts\/","topics":["growth","mind"],"related_book":"","buy_url":""},"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Choices.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CCA57320-6DC3-4284-BC27-49E433028503.jpeg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/on-life-being-human\/id1360368906","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2nq6d35q9nFAFlanaJc2Do","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/feed\/podcast\/on-life-being-human","embedCode":"

Doing vs Being – How To Focus Your Efforts<\/a><\/blockquote>