As a Protestant, may I confess my sins to a priest to stay focused on the Lord?
The short answer
Catholics confess not mainly to stay focused but because they believe Christ truly forgives sins through the priest's absolution. If you believe that too, perhaps you need to become Catholic; as things stand, one must hold the Church's teachings to receive its sacraments.
Catholics do not go to confession mainly to stay focused, though the sacrament can help with that. We go because we believe our sins are truly forgiven by Christ's absolution given through the priest. When Jesus breathed on his apostles and said, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (John 20:22-23), we believe he meant it literally.
If you believe this too, perhaps you need to become Catholic. Believing that a Catholic priest can forgive sins when your own minister cannot shows some faith in the Catholic Church; you may be closer to becoming Catholic than you think. As it stands, one must hold the Catholic Church's teachings to receive its sacraments.