In one of her recent episodes, 3 Words to Get Focused this Year | Plus the 5 Non-Negotiables that Set You Up for Success, Terri Savelle Foy offers a timely reminder that focus is not something we wait to feel, it is something we choose. In a world full of noise, competing priorities, and constant demands on our attention, focus has become one of the most valuable personal assets we can cultivate. What makes Terri’s message resonate is its simplicity: lasting focus doesn’t come from doing more, but from deciding better.

At the centre of her message are three powerful words: “I will do.” These words draw a clear line between intention and action. They move us away from wishful thinking and into ownership. Not “I hope,” not “I’ll try,” but “I will.” When we decide in advance what we will do, distractions lose their authority. Focus sharpens because we are no longer negotiating with ourselves daily, we are acting from commitment, not convenience.

But clarity alone is not enough. Focus must be protected, and that protection comes from structure. Terri outlines five non-negotiables that quietly but consistently position people for success not through pressure, but through discipline and alignment.

1. A Consistent Morning Routine: How you start your day determines how you show up for it. A focused life begins with intentional mornings, time to reset your mind, review your goals, and ground yourself before the world makes demands on you.
2. Written Goals You Actually Review: Goals that live only in your head compete with fear, distractions, and excuses. Written goals bring direction. Reviewed goals bring focus. If you don’t look at your goals regularly, your daily actions will drift.
3. Guarded Time: Focus requires boundaries. Successful people don’t wait for time, they protect it. Whether it is time for personal growth, planning, health, or faith, guarded time turns priorities into reality.
4. Feeding Your Mind Daily: What you consume consistently shapes what you believe. Books, podcasts, affirmations, and teaching that stretch your thinking are not optional—they are maintenance for focus and confidence.
5. Consistency Over Intensity: Focus is not built by occasional bursts of effort. It is built by showing up repeatedly, even when the effort feels small. Small, disciplined actions compound into massive results over time.

What ties Terri Savelle Foy’s message together is the power of decision. Focus is not a personality trait or a lucky break, it is a choice reinforced daily by habits and boundaries. When your words are intentional, your goals are visible, your time is protected, and your mind is nourished, focus stops being something you chase. It becomes something you live.

This year does not require more pressure or perfection. It requires clearer decisions. Sometimes, all it takes to reset your direction are three simple words, “I will do” and the courage to make your non-negotiables truly non-negotiable.