A couple months ago I went to a couple book sales and bought a ton of used books. One book in particular that I came across was called "40 Days Off Facebook" by Ryan G. Beale.
Initially, I didn't open the book. When I did, I discovered that it was an amazing read for multiple reasons. This man was going through two traumatic experiences, which I felt personally were much tougher than the things I have dealt with. I got hooked by his resilience. He spoke on how he was addicted to Facebook, and how he was constantly comparing his life to other people. I could relate. In short, I decided to challenge myself to 40 Days Off Facebook as well. The book taught me that 40 days symbolizes the ending of a chapter and the beginning of another chapter. I was eager to see what chapters I would close and open in 40 days. Best of all, I wanted to figure out what my mind would construct without distractions, and the influence of the site, memes, videos, etc.

Through my journey, I was able to listen to my soul. What does Stacy want? How does Stacy feel? What does Stacy think? - no influence from what I see online. When I awoke each morning, I couldn't check my page - meaning I had to replace that action with something more meaningful to my day. I began to start my days visualizing my future. Seeing myself as a millionaire, with multiple books published, writing for TV, with a husband and children, with real estate properties.
Before I went to bed, I couldn't spend hours scrolling my timeline like I usually would. I replaced that time with doing things that put me in a better position all around.
Journaling - for mental health. Releasing my thoughts on a regular basis. Putting vision to paper, analyzing what I want in life.
Planning - setting goals, making action steps - to stay focused on where I need to be.
Reading - for mental health + to educate myself. Reading relaxes me and there is so much still to learn no matter where you are in life.
Creating - working on the vision. Coming up with ideas for products, expanding my business, writing books.
Just resting and clearing my mind - some nights were for just laying there and exploring my thoughts. Recapping my day, giving my mind a break from running wild, making all these plans.

I prioritized my sleep. I know that I am most productive when I have 7/8 hours of sleep. I work 8 hours, tutor, write books, sometimes have class, or other places to go like grocery shopping, etc. I needed to be able to last until all tasks were done. So I made sure that I went to sleep at a decent time. I know that sleep has other benefits as well and I benefit a lot from recuperating my body and brain with sleep each night.
I finally got another car. In May, I was in a car accident. Since then, I rented cars, which was a huge expense. The main reason why I hadn't gotten a car yet was because I was not preparing myself in advance. I would be so busy or put it off and by the time the month was up for the rental, I'd have to make a decision to renew and since I needed a car I'd go ahead and renew. But finally, I focused myself to prepare weeks in advance to have my car before the next due date for the rental. Now, I am so relieved to not have to spend so much on a car each month and I can use that energy for other things.


I went back to real estate class. In January 2019, I started the real estate class to get licensed. I ended up missing a day and never went back. Now, instead of saying forget it, I told myself to go ahead and finish it up. I don't have much time left before I am finished. Then, I will take the exam and be
licensed. A lot of times, I had excuses as to why I couldn't attend class. I was very tired after working 8 hours, then tutoring, then rushing to class. With me focusing on my ultimate goals, I knew that I needed to finish and when your mind is clear and focused, excuses don't work for you anymore. You become stern with yourself. It no longer makes sense in your mind to keep bullshitting yourself.
I invested in some business coaching which led me to creating my next 2 books. I created a journal - which is based off of my 40 days off Facebook journey. It is called 40 Days Of Focus, and is designed to help women redirect their focus to align with their ultimate vision in life. (Don't worry fellas, I have one coming for yall too!) I learned so much about myself and what I needed to do and I have made a journal to help other women do it as well.
I also created an informational text with action steps created for parents who wanted to educate their children at home. With a background in Psychology, I rely heavily on concepts and practices that stimulate the brain. As a teacher, I see what could be helpful to our students to become stronger learners. As a private tutor, I understand that parents may not know exactly what to do at home to help their children. So my book is designed to do just that.
Both books will be out in 2020.
One of the things I did that I am most proud of is get a membership to LA Fitness. I definitely have to be more consistent with going to the gym, but this is a big step because I HATE the gym! Lol. But, I have gained more weight than I wanted within the past year and it HAS to go! It's important that I stay fit. I have a gym partner who gives me all the workouts I need to do. He has a trainer who works with me and she is awesome!
So during my 40 Days of Focus, I celebrated small wins, that have redirected me. It's always progress, not perfection (that's the motto I use with my students). I slowly chipped away at habits and made some steps that I had been putting off. Without my biggest distraction, it was easier to do that. Once I did 20 days, I knew I couldn't go back!! I will forever feel empowered to direct my own life and when I find myself getting distracted, I'll know to eliminate it, even if temporary and focus on my vision!
Stacy Lampkin
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The 40 Days of Focus Journal is out now and available for purchase: https://www.stacylampkin.com/product-page/40-days-of-focus-journal
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