Focus: One simple word, but not so simple to achieve.
How do we achieve focus?
We start with a plan and don’t deviate from the plan. Without a plan, we get nowhere in life. Sure, occasionally we may fluke it, but do you want to live with the occasional fluke, or live with intention?
We need to stop time wasters. We need to stop mindless use of screen time; tv, iPad, computers, phones. Get serious about your intention, lay aside your screen time and your focus will improve.
If you lay aside your screen time, you’ll have more ideas, new ideas, more plans and thoughts of your future and how it could look.
What does it take to focus and how does technology influence our ability to focus? We focus on 1 thing for 40 seconds, before our mind moves on and we easily become distracted.
It’s not that our brains are distracted, it’s that our brains are overstimulated. When we’re hyper stimulated, short bursts of information keep our focus on the wrong things. Be intentional about what you want in life and bring all your focus toward that. Stop procrastinating and start doing.
We’re easily bored and we like to be stimulated, however I’ve heard it said (although I can’t remember where), it takes 8 days for our minds to fully relax.
When we let our attention rest, we can begin to think about the past, the present and the future. Now there’s not anything we can do about our past, so let it go. Don’t waste time thinking about what could have been.
However, the present and the future are in our hands. These we can do something about. Present and future is something we can direct and change.
We need to let our mind rest, so it can sort problems and bring answers. That’s why, when we’re taking a shower, or going for a country drive, ideas come to us.
Find a hobby that calms you. Perhaps it’s knitting, or taking a bath, or photography. Anything you find relaxing.
While you’re relaxing, your mind will go to the areas that you need it too and it will be more creative.
Always keep a notebook handy and write those ideas, because it’s easy to lose them. Ideas flit through our mind and out again, in no time at all.
When we think about intention, we think we need to fit more in, but in all actuality we’re doing enough. We’re doing so much, our minds don’t wander any more.
We like to think of distraction as the enemy of focus. The enemy of focus is not distraction, but overstimulation. Become less stimulated and the ideas will flow.
Have a disconnection procedure every evening, say 8 pm to 8 am and a sabbath every Sunday. After all, how important is what you’re doing anyway? Does it need to be all consuming?
Rediscover boredom. Lay on the lounge and let your mind wander. If you feel you don’t have the time for all this relaxation, give yourself just 20 minutes a day. Allow yourself time to rest and renew and you’ll feel so much more revitalised.
Yes, there are times when you need to take the bull by the horns and dive in, but life is meant to be lived with joy and peace, not all this frantic racing around in circles, getting nowhere fast.
Learn what others did, to overcome their issues in life. Take years off the learning process, by following those who’ve gone before you and take time to smell the roses along the way.
You might just be surprised at how much more you can achieve, when your focus is in the right areas.
