Shownotes
This episode introduces a powerful language shift: the “I Don’t” technique & Lion Time™—that helps moms stop distractions, reclaim focus, and stay present during back-to-school chaos.
Discover Lion™ Time: Protect your focus. Guard your presence.
Lion Time™ is your boundary—the sacred block where you guard what matters most. Just like a lion protects its territory, you protect your attention.
This is also where the “I Don’t” technique comes in.
When distractions sneak up—the phone buzzes, the to-do list spirals, the kids tug at your sleeve—you whisper:
“I don’t get distracted during Lion™ Time.”
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about drawing a clear line in the sand and choosing to return, again and again. Lion Time™ reminds you: this moment is worth guarding.
5 Takeaways From This Episode:
1️⃣ Language matters. Swapping “I can’t” for “I don’t” shifts you from powerless to powerful.
2️⃣ Distractions are inevitable. But you always have the choice to return to what matters.
3️⃣ Boundaries protect focus.“I don’t” creates a personal standard, not an outside restriction.
4️⃣ Lion Time™ = Guardrails. Set aside small blocks where your attention is non-negotiable.
5️⃣ Presence grows with practice. Each time you say “I don’t,” you’re strengthening your focus muscle.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 – Back-to-School Chaos Hits Hard: Opening hook about stress, shifting from summer ease into the loud, fast pace of a new season.
00:45 – Quick B-MAT Check-In: Inviting listeners to reflect on last week’s method and share how it’s working.
01:15 – Welcome to the Anya Garcia Show: Personal story: trading the attorney briefcase for homeschooling and why this podcast exists.
02:15 – The Truth About “Enough”: Encouragement that moms don’t need “more” to be enough—alignment and progress matter most.
03:00 – Everyday Distractions Creep In: Relatable scenes: missing pencils, jammed printers, barking dogs, blue cup meltdowns, and crashing to-do lists.
04:00 – The Magic Phrase: Introducing the “I Don’t” technique: not “I can’t,” but “I don’t”—a powerful boundary shift.
05:00 – Why It Works: Breaking down empowerment, focus, and application—how this phrase resets attention.
05:45 – Ancestral Focus Rituals: Anthropology lens: survival rituals, mental campfires, and the timeless human skill of redirecting focus.
06:30 – Make It Practical: Examples of using the phrase during read-alouds, mealtimes, or when the phone buzzes.
07:15 – Weekly Challenge: Choose a 10–15 minute block daily to practice. Presence is a muscle—each “I don’t” strengthens it.
07:45 – What’s Next: Teasing the next episode: the Pause & Power-Up QRS Technique for fast resets in chaos.
Resources & Links
🧭 Join Mamas' Compass Circle™ where you will find support, monthly content, and practical tools for moms craving calm, clarity and confidence. No pressure. Just presence.
⚓️ Navigate with MKAPtains Kids Activities Club – Get a done-for-you Monthly Activity Plan that makes learning hands-on and fun—so you can spend less time planning and more time playing!
🎓 Let’s Do This Together - You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. With over a decade of experience helping parents worldwide, I’ve mastered how to simplify homeschooling to amplify your child’s growth—without the stress or overwhelm.
Follow Anya
Instargram.com/MontessoriFromTheHeart
📚 Research & Sources Mentioned
- Fogg, B. J. (2019). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
- Patrick, V. M., Hagtvedt, H., & Park, C. W. (2012). “I Don’t” versus “I Can’t”: When Empowered Refusal Motivates Goal-Directed Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(2), 371–381.
- Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. New York, NY: Avery.
- Wood, W. (2019). Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
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Transcripts
Tell me you’re stressed out without telling me you’re stressed out. It’s back-to-school season, and suddenly everything feels louder, faster, and heavier than it did just a few weeks ago.
This new season yanks us in ten directions at once—like being stretched thin before the day has even started. Today, I want to give you something small but powerful to add to your toolkit.
A mindset shift that helps you stay truly present, even when life feels chaotic. Because, let’s be honest, this is a new season. The lazy rhythms of summer have faded, and suddenly everything feels different.New schedules, new routines, new demands. Change is in the air, and with it comes plenty of opportunities to feel pulled off balance.
But first, a quick check-in. Did you try the B-MAT method? If you picked one routine and gave it a little makeover—motivation, ability, trigger—I would love to hear how it’s going.
Hey, my friend, and welcome to the Anya Garcia Show.
Here we will explore the science of learning, the art of parenting, and the mindset shifts that help you simplify your journey to amplify your growth. You see, I thought I would find purpose in courtrooms until motherhood showed me it was waiting at home.
So I traded my attorney briefcase for the beauty of homeschooling, depositions for diapers, and settlements for sensory play. I stepped off the legal path so that I can walk it with you. Because parenting doesn’t come with a manual or legal briefs.
So no wonder it can feel overwhelming and messy. But I see you showing up every day, even when no one is watching. And that little voice, “Am I doing enough?” I hear it too. But here is the truth.
You don’t need more to be enough. Because more doesn’t create peace. Alignment does. Progress matters more than perfection. And when you stop doubting, you start leading with confidence.
And before you know it, you have created a space where you and your child will thrive. Because humans are born with this natural desire to learn and grow. And I am here to help you harness that. Your child’s potential is limitless.
And so is yours. We just need to unlock it. Let’s talk about something we all wrestle with: distractions. They’re everywhere. The half-eaten breakfast on the counter.
The dog barking at nothing. The toddler is unrolling a toilet paper roll like it’s her life’s calling. Maybe you’re starting a homeschool lesson, and the pencils are missing.
The printer is jammed, and the toddler is melting down because the blue cup is still in the dishwasher—all while your brain is already fast-forwarding to dinner plans. Maybe you just dropped your kids off at school.
And as soon as you sit down with your coffee, the to-do list comes crashing in—emails, laundry, errands, all screaming for your attention. Either way, your body is in one place, but your mind is everywhere else.
That’s the moment distractions sneak in. That’s when you catch yourself reaching for your phone—just for one second. Here is where the magic phrase comes in. Pause, take a breath, and whisper:
I don’t get distracted during this time.
Not “I can’t.” I don’t.
It sounds tiny, but it changes everything. Because “I can’t” feels like a rule someone else handed down, while “I don’t” is a boundary you choose. It’s ownership. It’s a power move.
That one phrase pulls you back into the moment—into the math lesson, into your child’s eyes, and even into a quiet pause with yourself. You see, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about choosing presence, even when the back-to-school chaos is tugging at your focus.
Now here is why it works. Empowerment: Saying “I don’t” makes it clear you are in control. It’s not about restrictions. It’s about choice. Focus:
This phrase is a mental cue that gently calls your attention back to what matters every time distractions creep in. Application: You can use it anywhere—during homeschooling lessons, family meals, or playtime.
It’s about creating little windows of mindful presence. Think about our ancestors for a second. They didn’t have iPhones buzzing. They had their own distractions.
Sudden weather changes, keeping track of their group, or watching for animals. Their survival depended on creating rituals that focused their attention on what mattered in that moment.
So when you whisper, “I don’t get distracted during this time,” you are tapping into that same ancient human skill of focus. It’s like building a little mental campfire, drawing your mind back to the circle of what matters right now.
So let’s make it practical. Picture yourself during read-aloud time, or maybe sitting down for lunch together or dinner. The to-do list sneaks in. The phone buzzes.
That’s the moment you remind yourself, I don’t get distracted during this time. Just because it seems urgent doesn’t mean it is important. And you gently return to the moment. No shame. No guilt. Just practice.
So this week I challenge you to pick one 10- to 15-minute block each day and try this. Let it be small, let it be imperfect, but practice it. Because presence is a muscle—and it grows with use.
And every time you say “I don’t,” you are strengthening it. You’ve got this.
Up next, we are diving into the Pause & Power-Up QRS Technique. It’s a powerful three-step reset I use when everything feels like it’s spiraling—and it works faster than yelling “shoes on!” at the door.
I can’t wait to share it with you. So pop in your earbuds—whether you are vacuuming, doing dishes, or sneaking a quiet minute in the pantry. I’ll meet you there. Talk soon.
