Staying Focused Is Not Natural

Last week I was playing catch with my 9 year old. While she had her baseball glove in the right place to catch the ball, it was hitting the side of her glove. I kept telling her to turn her hand so that the glove would be more open toward the ball, but she continued to hold it the wrong way. Finally, in frustration she yelled at me, "Holding it that way is not natural!" After explaining to her that sometimes you have to train yourself to do things that aren't "natural," she caught several balls in a row. Success!

Staying focused is a similar quandry. We aren't wired to maintain intense focus for long periods of time. Our brain is constantly on the look out for new information, regardless of whether it is of value or not. This constant scanning grows out of a natural desire to maintain our safety and well-being. So, like holding your baseball glove correctly, it takes work to train yourself to focus.

To improve your ability to stay focused in the moment, try these tips:

• Monitor the average length of time you are able to focus. Notice what breaks your concentration and try to remove that distraction. If it's a lack of energy, get more rest. If it's noise, seek to reduce it, or block it out.
• Create the environment in which you CAN focus. Too often we try to focus, and then spend most of our time fighting with the distractions. Determine the best environment to really work on something, and create it before you start.
• Reward yourself for being able to focus for longer periods of time. My reward for getting the right work done after lunch (the 1-3 PM time frame) is a cold Diet Mountain Dew. If I don't use the time wisely, I have to forego this simple treat.
• Notice your normal body rhythms. Some of us are better able to focus first thing in the morning. for others it may be late at night. Find the time for you-and schedule those tasks that need your full attention.

 Staying focused may not be natural, but it is critical to accomplishig anything of significance. Play ball!

Deal With The Nag!

I recently had a dying mouse in the office. Before you wrinkle your nose, let me explain. It was my computer mouse for my desktop computer. It's the old mechanical version with the rolling ball. I keep using it just to see how long it will last. About three weeks ago it started not working as well. Being so busy, I just dealt with the lack of mobility by banging it on the desk or shaking it. "I don't have time to fix it now," I reasoned. While small in detail, it did aggravate me greatly.

Today I finally fixed it. A little cleaning and "BAM!"-good as new. It's such a relief and I keep wishing I had taken care of it earlier. All of us have little nagging items that occupy space in our mind and keep us from being as focused as we should be-or break our concentration. We reason, (like I did) that it's just not important enough to justify our attention when in reality it does.

What do you need to "handle," "deal with," or "take care of" today that would allow you to be more focused and productive?

Webbing?

We had "talking on a phone" while driving, then it was "texting." Now I learn that the new trend is "webbing." It's using a smartphone to access the internet while driving. People are checking Facebook pages, e mail and even shopping online while driving. I know, I know. Some of this activity is taking place in heavy traffic or while stopped at a traffic light. While safety is the major concern, I think so many people are missing a real benefit from being in a vehicle alone.

I just returned from a 3 day program in which I drove over 1000 miles to various programs. It was wonderful! I loaded my MP3 player with speeches and other podcasts. I took a digital recorder to capture my thoughts that were not so quickly interrupted. I planned a number of strategies to improve my business and to improve my relationships with people who are close to me. And yes, I even listened to 2 or 3 of my favorite albums and sound-tracks.

In this "always on" world where many people won't take time to sit, reflect and ponder, our vehicles may have become the only place where we can easily tune out the world and tune into ourselves. The next time you are driving-whether the trip is long or short-consider putting down the phone and stop wasting your time with the same old music or talking heads or ordering something you really don't need. Remember the words of George MacDonald-Work [or texting or webbing] is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected.