There’s a funny thing about getting things done… you need to stay focused to do it.
That’s not to say that one who isn’t focused won’t accomplish anything, just that they’re unlikely to have much control over what they get in the end.
There are different levels of focus.
Some people are one-minded. They are able to bring their minds to bear on a task and keep it trained until completion. In extreme cases this can also become obsessiveness.
Some people have zero focus. They touch here and there but never gain a strong mental grasp on anything they do. Ultimately, very few of their goals are attained.
Some people are able to balance their focus amongst different areas. They aren’t able to go quite as deep as the first group with any given task, but they tend to be a bit better rounded, and manage to complete most of their goals to a level they’re happy with.
I’d like to think I fit into the latter, but lately I’ve been a bit of a mashup of all three. When I manage to get focused on a project, I can’t get my mind off of it for days on end, but my focus often won’t last the project out… I get distracted… I’ll grab onto something else for a time… and then get distracted again…
At some point I look back and realise I have a trail of incomplete goals and I’m not sure what to pick up and what to leave!
But something tells me it has more to do with having a clear idea of what it is I want to accomplish in the first place. Part of the reason I become distracted is that I’ve stalled in applying myself… I’ve lost my vision, or never had a clear one to start.
I think it’s time I was a little more direct with myself about exactly what it is I want to see from any given venture. It’s time to propose an honest picture of just what success will look like and then challenge myself to get there.
Tags: discipline, focus, goals, ouch, philosophy, vision
