Today, I want to talk to you about how some days can just go off track without you doing anything to make them.

You know the days I’m talking about, where you’ve planned everything, you know what needs doing, but then find that absolutely nothing goes the way it's meant to go. It’s really maddening, isn’t it?

Sometimes, technology fails, or the weather changes, or your minute-by-minute schedule just collapses. That’s what happens when you plan as if nothing will ever go wrong. Remember, everything is alright until it isn’t!

But here's the thing I’ve noticed: fighting what is happening when thongs are going wrong, just makes everything worse, and the more you try to wrestle the day back onto your schedule, the more wound up you just get. In fact, more difficulties usually arise, and you then end up using all the energy you have left, battling what else happens, instead of dealing with the original problem.

Stop fighting and start adapting as, ironically, accepting that some days go off track actually then makes it easier for you. You’re not giving up; you’re just being realistic, as you then realise that you can just do what you can, write off what you can’t, and acknowledge that tomorrow is another day, where you can make a fresh start.

Here are some examples:

- You wake up fresh one morning with your whole day planned ahead of you, but then find that a family member needs you urgently, so everything else just stops. That’s not your day falling apart; that’s just life and what happens.

- You've blocked out time in your day for focused work, but constant interruptions prevent you concentrating. By lunchtime, you’ve accomplished nothing you planned. Or you have meetings at work scheduled all day, but wake up feeling awful. You try pushing through, which just makes you feel worse. Sometimes, the only track you need is the one straight back to bed! ​ - Your car, bus or train breaks down when you're already running late. You’re absolutely furious. But being angry at the machinery, or the people who run the services, doesn't help, does it?

However, if your days are always going off track, look at your planning. Sometimes, it’s not life interfering with your plans, it’s that your plans don’t make room for life!

So, today, remember when your day doesn’t unfold the way you wanted it to, you haven’t messed up. This is just what days do sometimes and some days will just go off track!

Today, I want to talk to you about why it is so important to prioritise yourself sometimes and why being selfish is sometimes necessary.

The word "selfish" is a bit of a dirty word, isn't it? We all know how it sounds. It's considered quite a negative trait to have. But please hear me out today, because there are times when you’ve actually deliberately got to seem selfish and put yourself first.

For example, when you’re not well, you need to properly rest and recover your strength to get better. That’s not negotiable, is it? It may look selfish to some people if you do this, as they may think you’re only considering yourself. But you know what? Although they may be correct, that’s precisely what you need to do. You're just playing the long game.

Focusing on yourself may feel a bit wrong in the short term but, especially in situations like this, it's only when you’ve recovered, that you are able to then help look after others properly. You can't help anyone if you're running on empty.

Here are some other examples:

- You feel exhausted, but you don’t want to let down a friend you said you would meet, so you cancel. Of course, they’re disappointed, maybe even hurt. But you realise that if you drag yourself out to meet them, you'd be useless company anyway and it would be better to see them when you can actually be present and good company.

- Your family expects you for a regular lunch or dinner, but you desperately need quiet time alone that day, so you don’t go. Yes, they'll talk about you not being there and your lack of effort, but it's so important that you do not go, because you’ll then be a better parent, partner, or child the next time, as you will then have recharged today.

- You take a proper lunch break, instead of eating lunch at your desk so as to do something to help a colleague. That may seem quite selfish in the moment, but by doing this, you'll work much better all afternoon, without resenting them.

Of course, some people take this idea too far though, don’t they? They always seem to be putting themselves first and never thinking about others. But that’s not what I’m talking about here, as there’s a real difference between necessary self-preservation and just being self-centred.

So, today, try to recognise when putting yourself first isn’t selfish and is actively sensible. Sometimes, you just have to exclude others to recover, recharge, or rebuild. It can be uncomfortable I know, but being selfish is sometimes necessary!

Today, I want to talk to you about why you should always try to focus your efforts and be known for only doing one thing wherever you can.

We often hear people say that you should not spread yourself too thin, but instead only focus on doing one thing well, rather than just doing more things generally.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that when you try to do too many things, you dilute your energy and expertise. Over the years, I've also learned that mastery comes from depth, not breadth. By focusing on just one, or two things at most, you build yourself a reputation that people remember and trust.

Think about it: would you rather be mediocre at doing 10 things, or be known for being exceptional at one or two?Remember that your time and mental capacity are finite resources. When you concentrate your efforts, you then don’t just improve incrementally; you compound your skills exponentially over time.

The world also rewards specialists who can go deep. When people think of a specific problem, you want to be the first name that comes to their mind. That only happens when you're known for doing something specific, not doing everything.

Here are some examples from the present or recent past:

- Steve Jobs famously returned to take over the helm of Apple, which was in a bad way in the late 1990s. He immediately cut Apple's product line from dozens to just four core products. It was this laser focus that saved the company and later led to revolutionary innovations like the iPhone and iPod.

- It is well known that J.K. Rowling concentrated solely on writing about Harry Potter for many years, perfecting that one story well. Her dedication to that single vision eventually created a global phenomenon worth billions, rather than her writing multiple forgettable books. ​ - It is said that James Dyson spent more than 15 years creating over 5,127 prototypes, focusing on producing the Dyson vacuum cleaner. He also concentrated on just one thing: better suction technology. It was his obsession with this one problem that ultimately made Dyson a household name and led to further innovative products.

However, focusing on only one thing can also be risky. Things change and evolve, and any niche you have might become obsolete. This is where diversification provides security; if one area fails, you then have others to fall back on. However, some people also argue that multiple skills create unique combinations that set you apart and various interests lets you stay adaptable and innovative.

So, today, try to identify your one, (or at most two), core strengths and commit to them fully. In this way, you will cut away distractions that dilute your impact, building depth, instead of breadth, allowing your expertise to speak for itself. Remember, you should only be doing one thing!