Episode 49: The Power of Shifting Your Focus: Why Small Adjustments Lead to Big Growth

August 04, 2025

🎙️ The Power of Shifting Your Focus: Why Small Adjustments Lead to Big Growth

📌 Episode Summary: In this episode of Running to Myself, Trisha Stanton shares how a small shift in focus during a gym workout led to a powerful mindset revelation. Whether you're lifting weights or navigating a challenging season of life, where you place your mental attention matters. Trisha explores how we often stay stuck, not because of what’s happening around us, but because of the stories we keep believing. She unpacks how small mental shifts like focusing on the process instead of the outcome or noticing the stories in your head can create big, lasting change. With personal stories, coaching insights, and practical tools, this episode will help you recognize when it’s time to shift your focus and how to do it with intention.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Why even small focus shifts can lead to big changes in how we show up
3 signs it’s time to reevaluate where your attention is going
The difference between focusing on the outcome vs. the process
How to interrupt negative thought patterns that keep you stuck
Why getting outside perspective, through coaching or conversation, can be the clarity you need

🛠️ Tools You’ll Learn:

Zoom in on the process: Break big goals down into smaller, manageable focus points.

Notice the story you're telling yourself: Replace old, unhelpful thoughts with more supportive ones.

Ask for perspective: Sometimes we can't see what's keeping us stuck until someone else holds up a mirror.

💬 Reflection Prompt: What area of your life feels heavy right now and could that heaviness shift if your focus did?

Episode Transcript

Episode Title:
The Power of Shifting Your Focus: Why Small Adjustments Lead to Big Growth
Hey friend, welcome back to Running to Myself. I’m your host, Trisha Stanton—and today we’re talking about something small that makes a big difference:
The power of shifting your focus.
Let me start with a quick story from just the other day.
I was at the gym, working through my leg press sets. Now, this wasn’t my first time on the leg press. I’ve done it plenty of times before. But that day, the weight felt especially heavy. I was really struggling to get through the set.
That’s when my trainer walked by and gave me one small piece of feedback:
“Remember to keep your knees out as you push.”
Now, I’ll be honest. I don’t have a ton of natural body placement awareness. Correct form doesn’t always feel instinctive to me. But as soon as she said that, I realized something important: I’d been so focused on just pushing the weight up that I hadn’t even noticed my knees were caving in.
I thought it was just the weight that made it hard. But actually, it was my form.
Once I shifted my focus—from the general idea of “move the weight” to the more specific focus, “keep my knees steady and strong”—everything changed.
Suddenly, I could feel my glutes engaging. My body moved with more control. And honestly, it got easier—not because the weight changed, but because my focus did.
And it got me thinking…
How often does this happen in life?
We get so focused on the big outcome—get through the day, get the project done, hold everything together—that we miss where our “form” might be off.
We miss seeing where our focus could use a small shift that would make all the difference.

How to Know When You Need to Shift Your Focus
So how do you know when it’s time to check your form—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally?
Here are a few signs I see in my own life and with my coaching clients:
* You feel like you’re pushing hard but not making progress.

* You keep bumping into the same frustration or challenge over and over.

* You’re running on autopilot, but something feels “off” or draining.

* Your energy feels scattered—like you’re working harder than necessary.

If any of that feels familiar, it’s probably time to pause and ask:
“What am I really focusing on right now? And is it the most helpful thing?”
—
1️⃣ Zoom In on the Process, Not Just the Outcome
We tend to get stuck when all we can see is the end goal:
“I have to lose 20 pounds.”
“I have to fix this relationship.”
“I have to get this project done.”
That kind of thinking is like staring at the top of the mountain and feeling overwhelmed before you’ve even taken a step.
Instead, I want you to zoom in:
What’s just the next right step?
In my leg press story, my goal was to push the weight. But once I shifted my focus to something smaller and more specific—my knee placement—I found new strength and I got better results.
When you focus on small steps done well, the big result takes care of itself.
And here’s the bonus: it feels lighter. Less overwhelming. You give your mind something clear and manageable to focus on instead of spinning in “I have so far to go.”
—
2️⃣ Notice What You’re Telling Yourself
Our focus is often shaped by the story we’re repeating in our heads.
In my coaching practice, this is one of the biggest things we work on: identifying the automatic thoughts that keep clients stuck.
Maybe it’s:
“I can’t handle this.”
“I should already know how to do this.”
“This is just who I am.”
Sound familiar?
Here’s a simple check-in to practice:
When you feel stressed or stuck, pause and ask:
💬 “What am I focusing on in my mind right now?”
Is it helpful? Is it true? Or is it just familiar?
Next ask: What else is true?
Then—intentionally shift your focus to a new thought.
It could be:
“I’m learning.”
“I can handle this one step at a time.”
“This doesn’t define me.”
You’re not erasing the old thought—you’re choosing to redirect your brain and giving it something more useful to focus on instead.
—
3️⃣ Check Your Form with Someone Else’s Help
Sometimes, we just can’t see our own blind spots.
That’s why I needed my trainer to point out my knee placement at the gym.
The same is true for our mental focus.
We can be so deep in our own story that we don’t realize we’re stuck.
That’s where coaching—or even just a trusted friend—can make a huge difference.
When I work with clients, I’m not telling them what to do. I’m helping them view the circumstances in their life from a new perspective so they can see where their focus might be keeping them stuck in old patterns.
So if you notice you’re spinning on the same problem, ask yourself:
💬 “Is this something I can shift on my own, or is it time to get some outside perspective?”
You don’t have to go it alone.
Sometimes the simplest shift starts with a single conversation.
—
Before I move on, I want to pause here and mention something I see all the time in coaching:
Most of the time, people get stuck not just because of what’s happening around them—but because of the story their brain keeps offering.
That repeating thought pattern:
“This is just how my life is.”
“I always mess this up.”
“It’s too late for me to change.”
Those kinds of thoughts feel so true when we’re in them.
But here’s the thing:
They’re just stories.
Stories our brain has practiced telling over and over until we believe them as fact.
Shifting your focus—whether it’s from the weight on a leg press to the placement of your knees, or from “I’m stuck” to “I’m learning”—is what breaks that pattern.
It’s what helps you step out of believing everything your brain throws at you and start seeing what else might be true.
And that’s the real work.
It’s not about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about choosing where you want to place your attention.
Because where your focus goes, your life follows.
💙 Here’s Why This Matters
Shifting your focus isn’t just about being more productive.
It’s about showing up in a way that feels more aligned, more intentional, and less draining.
It’s how we move through hard things with clarity and strength instead of just muscle and willpower.
And it’s something I believe every person can learn—no matter what season of life you’re in.
—
🌿 Soft CTA
If this episode spoke to you—if you feel like you’re pushing hard but maybe pushing in the wrong direction—I’d love to help you figure out where a small focus shift could make the biggest impact.
That’s the heart of what I do in coaching.
You don’t have to stay stuck trying to figure it out alone.
You can always book a free consultation call with me at trishastanton.com/signup.
We’ll talk about where you are, where you want to be, and what kind of focus shift could get you moving again.
Thank you for spending this time with me today.
Until next time, take a deep breath, check your form, and keep showing up.

Episode 49: The Power of Shifting Your Focus: Why Small Adjustments Lead to Big Growth

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