Tag: Zen Habits

What does “focus” really mean?

I regularly have days that I can’t seem to find focus. 

It is a struggle because my day job requires me to complete certain tasks whether I am focused or not.  

It’s on days like these that motivation levels drop off a cliff. 

It seemed like today was one of those days.  To make things worse, I had a lunch that didn’t do any help for my energy levels.

So I did what I’d not done in a long time. Took my laptop & notebook, walked outside the building I normally work in, & sat outside. Took a deep breath. Actually, quite a few. Took in the view. Of people smoking in a corner, chatting away over coffee. Eating solitary late lunches, hunched over their phones. The weather looking ominous, the dark clouds gathering to drop their heavy load any minute now. 

And in the next 30 minutes, I got done the three crucial things I was unable to focus on since the morning. 

Leo Babauta had a blog post a while ago on this subject a few months a year ago. About Finding Focus.  If you’d rather not click that link, here’s a summary:

Now sit there with your task. Dive in. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted.
You’ll have the urge to go check something. That’s a nice urge — just watch it and smile. Don’t act on the urge. Just smile. Now go back to what you chose to do.
Do it for 10 minutes, however long you feel is pushing the boundaries of what’s comfortable for a little bit.
Then give yourself a nice reward: …
Now go back.
Repeat. With a smile.

 It worked.


Overcoming the social costs of being different. [Article]

Leo Babauta shares what makes him different, how being different is hard, & the strategies he has to deal with the social costs of being different:

Being different means you stand out, which is a good thing in a world where everyone is trying to blend in. It means you’re interesting, because you’re different. It means you are less restricted by what’s comfortable, able to explore new ground, not afraid of things because you don’t know about them. It means you’re learning more than most people. 

The Worry That You’re Doing the Wrong Thing Right Now [Article]

A problem I often grapple with is what activity should I be doing at any given point in time. I know I am not alone, but Leo Babauta articulates it much better than I could, and also shares his simple steps to handle this challenge. And what do you have to look forward to at the end of those steps?

And if you do these steps, you’ll get your task done, and then breathe. And smile. Because you came a long way, and you might have a long way to go, but you’re here. You’ve arrived. And it’s a lovely place to be.