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10 Ways to Use Laser Sharp Focus to Get More Done

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead.

There’s an old Confucius saying that goes “If you chase two rabbits, you catch none.” This is especially true when forming new habits and trying to be more productive, but how many times do we do exactly the opposite?

We try to do as much as possible to grow, learn and better ourselves. We read books, blogs, and soak up all sorts of information on creating new habits. The fact is, a lot of this effort is in vain. Our attention is pulled in so many directions, that our energy is spread too thin.

It doesn’t help much that our lives have become increasingly complex. We have more ways to communicate than ever before: face-to-face, phone, email, instant messaging, twitter, blogging, etc. We have more tools to get work done, but our energy is diminished after being pulled in a million directions.

If we know that we need to focus, why don’t we use what we already know? If we supposedly know how to change, why don’t we change? If we know what’s wrong, why don’t we fix it?

I think the answer to this question is a little more complex than what can be looked at in a simple blog post. But in short, I think the answer is a matter of energy. It’s not a lack of confidence, but the lack of ability to make a serious commitment. Commitment isn’t just thinking about really wanting something. It’s not just reading something on a few different blogs and thinking “oh yeah, I’ve read that a few times, I know.” Reading or seeing something isn’t enough. You have to put your energy behind it enough to be able to move from point a to point z. If you’re trying to hit points c, s, q, y and t (which might represent other goals you have) you’ll get distracted. You lose focus and your energy fizzles.

If changing your habits and your life means only focusing on one thing at a time, how do you defend yourself from productivity ADD? Here are 10 tools to help you:

Deep focus instead of multi-tasking. We often kid ourselves thinking that we’re getting more done by multi-tasking, but we often end up just spending a lot of time spinning our wheels. Try to focus on one thing deeply, instead of spreading your attention across multiple tasks.
Wraps up tasks that are easily completed. Most of the time I’m having trouble staying focused is because there a bunch of little things on my mind that I know I need to do. Write down everything that can be completed in less than 10 minutes and finish everything on the list before you start on a project that requires more focus. This doesn’t mean that every time something comes up that would take less than ten minutes to do, you do it. You simply batch everything together that requires ten minutes of time or less.
Stay in the now. As much as you can, practice focusing your attention on the present moment. Constantly move your attention back to now. If you have trouble with this, you might want to get this watch.
Respond, don’t react. Our tendency to react to what seems “urgent” hurts us in the long run. I would rather write an amazing book in a year, sacrificing things like replying to email and having a super clean house. Block out time in your day for the things that are really important.
Feng shui your workspace. What’s the most important thing to you? What are you really passionate about? For me, this is writing and music. I feng shui my work area to speak those things. I have writing books on my shelves, I have musical instruments around me. I have a cork board that has my writing goals and inspirational quotes about writing that speak to me. Having these “attention reinforcements” helps you to stay focused on what is most important to you.
Give yourself a meaningful purpose. You’ll have a hard time staying focused if you feel the work you’re doing isn’t meaningful. If you’re having trouble staying focused at a job you’re not passionate about, it’s likely because you have no interest in the work you’re doing. There’s no motivation for you other than a paycheck. Find a career that has meaning and gives you a sense of purpose and your motivation and focus will naturally increase.
Distinguish between urgent and important. We often spend most of our time doing things that seem important, but really aren’t. They are just urgent. This doesn’t really make sense, because it would seem things that are important, should be urgent, right? If you want to do meaningful things, if you want to accomplish things that will have a long-term impact, focus on the important.
Visual how you want your day to evolve. If you don’t really know exactly how you want your day to go, how can you expect it to go the way you want it to? In order to combat random events and unknowns keeping you from doing what’s important, take time to visualize how you want your day to go. Pay attention when you visualize certain things to how they make you feel. Use positive visualization to control how you will react when certain events come up that detract you from keeping focused.
Practice single pointed focus. It’s hard to imagine staying focused when there are so many possibilities of things you could be doing. Sometimes priorities aren’t enough to keep you motivated, it’s just a matter of flexing your focusing muscles. Here’s a good meditation to get you started on flexing your single minded muscles: Close your eyes and imagine that you are sitting alone in a chair in a room (it doesn’t really matter where). Now imagine there’s an apple on the table in front of you. Try taking bites of that apple in your mind, and focusing on the taste and sensations of the apple. Look at how the different bites are taken out one at a time. Practicing this and other types of meditations will greatly enhance your ability to focus on one thing for long durations of time.
Practice mindfulness. This seems so simple, but it’s often the most difficult thing to do. How often when you’re eating, are you thinking about all sorts of different things, other than your food? How often when you you’re spending time with a friend, is your mind wandering on other things? You can’t expect to be focused if you’re not paying attention to what is going on around you. The next time you wash your hands, focus on the feeling of the water and the sensation of the towel when drying your hands. When you’re eating, focus on the taste and texture of the food in your mouth. You can’t expect to be focused in your work, if you constantly lack focus in every other area of your life. Practice focus in the normal everyday things you do, and it will start spilling over in to your work.

This article was written by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead of the Illuminated Mind blog. For more ways to defend yourself from productive ADD, grab a subscription to Illuminated MInd.

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10 Ways to Use Laser Sharp Focus to Get More Done

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead.

If we know that we need to focus, why don’t we use what we already know? If we supposedly know how to change, why don’t we change? If we know what’s wrong, why don’t we fix it?

If changing your habits and your life means only focusing on one thing at a time, how do you defend yourself from productivity ADD? Here are 10 tools to help you:

Deep focus instead of multi-tasking. We often kid ourselves thinking that we’re getting more done by multi-tasking, but we often end up just spending a lot of time spinning our wheels. Try to focus on one thing deeply, instead of spreading your attention across multiple tasks.
Wraps up tasks that are easily completed. Most of the time I’m having trouble staying focused is because there a bunch of little things on my mind that I know I need to do. Write down everything that can be completed in less than 10 minutes and finish everything on the list before you start on a project that requires more focus. This doesn’t mean that every time something comes up that would take less than ten minutes to do, you do it. You simply batch everything together that requires ten minutes of time or less.
Stay in the now. As much as you can, practice focusing your attention on the present moment. Constantly move your attention back to now. If you have trouble with this, you might want to get this watch.
Respond, don’t react. Our tendency to react to what seems “urgent” hurts us in the long run. I would rather write an amazing book in a year, sacrificing things like replying to email and having a super clean house. Block out time in your day for the things that are really important.
Feng shui your workspace. What’s the most important thing to you? What are you really passionate about? For me, this is writing and music. I feng shui my work area to speak those things. I have writing books on my shelves, I have musical instruments around me. I have a cork board that has my writing goals and inspirational quotes about writing that speak to me. Having these “attention reinforcements” helps you to stay focused on what is most important to you.
Give yourself a meaningful purpose. You’ll have a hard time staying focused if you feel the work you’re doing isn’t meaningful. If you’re having trouble staying focused at a job you’re not passionate about, it’s likely because you have no interest in the work you’re doing. There’s no motivation for you other than a paycheck. Find a career that has meaning and gives you a sense of purpose and your motivation and focus will naturally increase.
Distinguish between urgent and important. We often spend most of our time doing things that seem important, but really aren’t. They are just urgent. This doesn’t really make sense, because it would seem things that are important, should be urgent, right? If you want to do meaningful things, if you want to accomplish things that will have a long-term impact, focus on the important.
Visual how you want your day to evolve. If you don’t really know exactly how you want your day to go, how can you expect it to go the way you want it to? In order to combat random events and unknowns keeping you from doing what’s important, take time to visualize how you want your day to go. Pay attention when you visualize certain things to how they make you feel. Use positive visualization to control how you will react when certain events come up that detract you from keeping focused.
Practice single pointed focus. It’s hard to imagine staying focused when there are so many possibilities of things you could be doing. Sometimes priorities aren’t enough to keep you motivated, it’s just a matter of flexing your focusing muscles. Here’s a good meditation to get you started on flexing your single minded muscles: Close your eyes and imagine that you are sitting alone in a chair in a room (it doesn’t really matter where). Now imagine there’s an apple on the table in front of you. Try taking bites of that apple in your mind, and focusing on the taste and sensations of the apple. Look at how the different bites are taken out one at a time. Practicing this and other types of meditations will greatly enhance your ability to focus on one thing for long durations of time.
Practice mindfulness. This seems so simple, but it’s often the most difficult thing to do. How often when you’re eating, are you thinking about all sorts of different things, other than your food? How often when you you’re spending time with a friend, is your mind wandering on other things? You can’t expect to be focused if you’re not paying attention to what is going on around you. The next time you wash your hands, focus on the feeling of the water and the sensation of the towel when drying your hands. When you’re eating, focus on the taste and texture of the food in your mouth. You can’t expect to be focused in your work, if you constantly lack focus in every other area of your life. Practice focus in the normal everyday things you do, and it will start spilling over in to your work.

Posted on 30 October 2008 in Productivity & Organization |
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Comments (68)

Tabitha (From Single to Married) Says:

October 30th, 2008, 18:58 pm

I’ve been reading similar things lately - that multi-tasking is more frowned upon now whereas before, it was praised. I think it’s interesting how things are changing and the focus is on just that - being focused. I agree, I tend to be more effective when focusing rather than trying to do three things at once. Great post!

Joe Says:

October 30th, 2008, 19:01 pm

Good article.
Some typos

Wraps up tasks that easily completed
*that are

10 minutes and finish everyone
*finish everything

Rahul Says:

October 30th, 2008, 19:04 pm

Eben Pagan has a great program structured around this entire point. http://www.wakeupproductive.com

Tom Volkar / Delightful Work Says:

October 30th, 2008, 19:16 pm

Love your number two. The marketplace pays us for completions not ideas. Small or large that’s what we need to do - complete!

Along these lines, a great number 11 would be. Eliminate what we tolerate. Thomas Leonard called tolerations things that drain our energy that we could do something about but don’t.

When we clear them from our list of unmade decisions we can actually re-claim that once lost energy.

I like this post Jonathan because you could really clean up your focus by enacting any two of these tips.

Maria Palma Says:

October 30th, 2008, 19:29 pm

Thank you so much for this post. It is very timely as I’m working on focusing on one task but at the same time staring at my To Do list.

Thomas Herold Says:

October 30th, 2008, 19:32 pm

Focus needs attention. Contemplate where your attention comes from…

Kim the Blogging Bard Says:

October 30th, 2008, 19:40 pm

Multi-tasking vs. distractions is a fine line. I found I was better at concentrating on multiple things when I was a teenager. Perhaps it was just that I had easier things to work on (so homework in front of the TV wasn’t a problem) but I have found that concentrating on what thing at a time helps a lot as an adult.

Also, this goes very well with your message of one habit change at a time–which I have tried and found it did work better than deciding that I’m going to change everything this month.

A Dawn Says:

October 30th, 2008, 19:59 pm

I have never been a fan of multi-tasking. I am more productive doing things one at a time. It’s like living In The Moment. Do one thing at a time and try to make it the best.
Cheers,
A Dawn Journal
http://www.adawnjournal.com

sarah hudson Says:

October 30th, 2008, 20:08 pm

Great post.

#2 is awesome… http://www.NowDoThis.com is the perfect website to use to help put that concept into action!!! only shows 1 of your tasks at a time, and you can’t go on to the next until that one is done. A little while back, Leo posted a short bit about the website nowdothis.com and ever since I read it, I’ve had that website open every single day I work.

I think what’s also extremely important when trying to focus is to be completely honest with ourselves and own the fact that a lot of the time we CHOOSE to let ourselves get distracted. I don’t think we LET ourselves get distracted, or get “pulled in so many directions” unless we WANT to in the first place. Most of the time anyway. :) I let myself get distracted all the time because I don’t want to do whatever it is I should be doing. Instead, I just shouldn’t ALLOW myself to a lot of the time. And if I do allow myself to get distracted by something that isn’t necessarily useful, I have to own the fact that I’ve lost focus/discipline, and then I have to make the choice to refocus on my commitment(s).

Hope that made sense. :)

Alistair Says:

October 30th, 2008, 20:17 pm

Have spent the morning in an unfocussed state, and been getting grumpy about being all over the place with the day so far, and the year as well (found some early writings this morning about my goals for the year). This post is particularly timely. Staying in the now, Responding not reacting, and being mindful, ring bells. The biggest one though is wrapping up tasks easily completed. So I’m off to finish the big three I’d set for today as the minimum ‘drop dead’ items.

However: the unfocussed time did include some useful discoveries, and reflections. Some of this seems to be necessary. Its just getting the balance that seems difficult.

Alistair Says:

October 30th, 2008, 20:31 pm

One other thing about the committment thing. My tai chi teacher used to teach a weekly qigong class, and in that class he used to tell us to do just one of the qigong exercises he taught, each day, for a week. He made the point that by just doing that one thing consistently, we were building our committment, our self discipline, not just to practice of qigong, but also as a general ability. And in the next week, we’d add another exercise. After 10-12 weeks, that made about 8-9 movements learned, and then consolidated as a new habit.

So many of the recent posts on this & related blogs have reminded me of the above example, and with this post I figure the universe is telling me something about going back to the basics. One thing at a time. Regularly, to build the habit.

Thanks again Jonathan for a wonderful post, and to Leo for such a wonderful site.

dr aletta Says:

October 30th, 2008, 20:55 pm

The post was good but I got more out of the comments! Thank you, everyone.

Susan Weinschenk Says:

October 30th, 2008, 21:06 pm

The research on commitment shows that if you make a small change to your normal routine or decision making it will be easier to make a larger change after that. Also that if you write your commitment down you will stick with it more. So if you wanted to implement some of these ideas the best move might be to start with something small and write down your plan for change.

Dali Burgado Says:

October 30th, 2008, 21:30 pm

Hey Jonathan,

I definitely agree with being focused. Focus and concentration are keys to high performance. And oftentimes most of us are so unfocused because we haven’t decided what it is we want.

We also want to learn everything and be a one woman or man show.

I also agree about finding meaningful purpose or finding your passion. When you are passionate about what you do you will always find ways to leverage your time and skills to remain productive.

Awesome article.

Dali Burgado

Simple Sapien Says:

October 30th, 2008, 21:32 pm

Maintaining a consistent mindset about what your goals are, what you want, and what you need to work on is a difficult thing. One day my motivation and creativity will be bursting and the next day I will feel incredibly lazy and dull. It is sticking with the things that matter to you even when you are feeling crappy that is difficult. Keep up the great posts!

- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien

Maria | Never the Same River Twice Says:

October 30th, 2008, 21:42 pm

I think for really creative work, yes, single pointed focus is the best.

However, we all have crap tasks that we need to get through that are - well, boring. At those times, YouTube & Twitter are lifesavers!

Fit Bottomed Girl Says:

October 30th, 2008, 22:10 pm

It’s so funny that for so long we thought doing more was better, but now we’re figuring out that, eh, not so much. I recently took a new job where I wear many hats. It’s hard to balance all of the aspects of the position, but I’ve found that if I focus on one for a few hours, then the other, I get a lot more done than trying to do them all at once.

Vish-Writer Says:

October 30th, 2008, 22:21 pm

One reason to finish off what you are doing currently that it is one less thing to worry about. Unfinished tasks keep bothering us forever.

BM Says:

October 30th, 2008, 22:48 pm

I have another one: Wear a watch!

Vincent Says:

October 30th, 2008, 23:15 pm

I use to have the habit of multi tasking everything and thinking that I am saving up time but I found that multi tasking cause me to have sub par performance in the things I do. I believe that putting your eggs in one basket would be definitely better than putting it in many baskets in this case.

Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger

banji - LessonInLife Says:

October 30th, 2008, 23:43 pm

I’m using a technique I come up to be more focus in what I do. I called it “Cats Meow Technique“. Which generally means that a blogger should blog. If most of the time he spend his time NOT blogging, something is definitely wrong.

The same goes to everything. If you want to clean the house. Stop thinking about all your other roles and just assume the role of a cleaner. Then just remember that cats meow, so a cleaner should clean. doing something else will feel wrong automatically.

johnlazy Says:

October 31st, 2008, 0:41 am

I think there’s nothing wrong with multi-tasking, for me i’m more productive if im doing a multi task because i easily get bored in one thing.

FrugalNYC Says:

October 31st, 2008, 1:28 am

Single tasking is the new “black”. I’ve even started to work with very minimal applications open on my pc to keep this concept going. My PC desktop also has no icon, nonee. Make it easier to focus as well.

virtual voyage Says:

October 31st, 2008, 1:46 am

Interesting post; however, think in reality it’s horses for courses - the main stumbling block is that what works for those who are left brain dominant goes against the grain for those who are right brained and need holistic solutions rather than linear ones.

Joyous Living Says:

October 31st, 2008, 2:51 am

“Deep focus instead of multi-tasking.” A major stumbling block for me. Usually I am all over the place. Doing this and that but not FULLY focused on what I need to do. Sometimes I don’t realize how much stress this actually causes in life.

“Visual how you want your day to evolve.” Yes, visualization does work when I had the habit of doing it. I still do but it is at night before bed. Wrong time for me to do it to really benefit. I should go back and begin the day with visualization again.

What is great about visualizing is how well you day seems to automatically bring those things you visualize about to you. If you don’t get what you visualize about you will move closer to your visions. The more you do it things will fall into place. Caution though. A wrench thrown into your day can mess your focus and temporarily scramble your vision you had. Just go back and visualize again.

I will play around a bit with these techniques and see if things improve. Thanks for the article.

Allen Walker Says:

October 31st, 2008, 3:49 am

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard of this tip… but I think this is what makes most people lose their lives. I mean… look around you. How many of them are doing “insane” job, doing the same thing over and over again… and not getting anything done.

nudgeme Says:

October 31st, 2008, 5:32 am

This is a timely post as I’ve been looking at ways to deal more effectively with info and work overload. I really agree with a couple of comments made here along the lines of stop sweating the small stuff and focus on the important not the urgent. And spend some time working out exactly what the important is to you - not just in your business or work, but personal life as well. In the current climate, I’m finding people who are running scared or stuck in ‘paralysis analysis’ mode, uncertain about the future, which is acting as a real drain on their productivity. In my experience, that’s the best time to take stock, clear the decks and have a re-think about what really matters. It not only helps to calm those niggling fears, but really helps to keep your focus and thus be more productive.

M. Samir Says:

October 31st, 2008, 8:24 am

Very helpful, I’m trying to stop multi-tasking addection, but sadly it’s not easy as it looks, thanks.

Jeff Jones Says:

October 31st, 2008, 8:39 am

Jonathan,

Many of these principles are things that I am constantly striving for and are dear to me.

One in particular is multi-tasking. One of the things that makes this so hard for people to break is because it is still seen as some kind of badge of honor among people in business.

I’ve had people who are ADD even claim it is impossible for them to do one thing at a time.

Breaking a habit is hard enough without having to destroy a stereotype at the same time.

Jeff

Mor Bastiaan Says:

October 31st, 2008, 10:06 am

Men can only do one thing at one time.
Women can do multi tasking.

It’s natural.

Mor

David Says:

October 31st, 2008, 10:50 am

Lol I’m sorry but all these posts are becoming the same.

Michael, Go Success Now Says:

October 31st, 2008, 11:35 am

Great Post Jonathan.

@Sarah Hudson: Great website you gave us. I didn’t read Leo’s post about it, but i liked it:)

Jonathan Mead Says:

October 31st, 2008, 13:40 pm

@ johnlazy: I think there’s a certain place for multitasking, but if you’re constantly multitasking and it’s keeping you from focusing on the important things you want to accomplish, then it becomes a problem.

Joyous Living Says:

October 31st, 2008, 15:13 pm

@Allan

“I don’t know how many times I’ve heard of this tip… but I think this is what makes most people lose their lives. I mean… look around you. How many of them are doing “insane” job, doing the same thing over and over again… and not getting anything done.”

I believe this cause of this is a matter of CHOOSING WHAT to focus on not the the focus ITSELF. You know what I mean. Choosing to focus solely on something that is not productive or brings the value you want in life will give you just that. Nothing.

swazidarron Says:

October 31st, 2008, 15:43 pm

Great approach. The brain is a very clever tool and it gets very used to working in a certain pattern. The secret is changing that pattern of focus or continual shifting/scanning focus. Not easy, but possible.

Only problem is, when I get the focus right I get it in the neck from my wife, who can’t understand how she can be speaking without me hearing her !

sarah hudson Says:

October 31st, 2008, 15:52 pm

@Michael

glad you like it! It will change your life!! or not, but it definitely could. :)

sarah hudson Says:

October 31st, 2008, 15:53 pm

@Mor Bastiaan

you’re kidding, right?

The Daily Click Says:

October 31st, 2008, 15:58 pm

Point 8 rings true for me. Each morning I take half an hour to go through the to do list I wrote the night before and spend that time visualizing getting each task done, rather than jumping in head first. 9 out of 10 times I will get all the jobs done with time to spare which would never have happened if I had just jumped in head first.

Joyous Living Says:

October 31st, 2008, 15:59 pm

“Only problem is, when I get the focus right I get it in the neck from my wife, who can’t understand how she can be speaking without me hearing her !”

Your not the only one!

Joyous Living Says:

October 31st, 2008, 16:05 pm

“The brain is a very clever tool and it gets very used to working in a certain pattern. The secret is changing that pattern of focus or continual shifting/scanning focus. Not easy, but possible.”

Always possible.

It comes down to becoming aware that change is needed, believing it is needed, having the the desire to change it and avoid the old pattern, having something to change to that is better, replacing the old habit with the new.

Art Gonzalez Says:

October 31st, 2008, 16:40 pm

Elimination of multi-tasking has been one of the biggest take-aways for me this year. It has massively improved my productivity.

Many blessings,

Art Gonzalez
Check my Squidoo Lens at: Quantum Knights

Jonathan Mead Says:

October 31st, 2008, 17:05 pm

@swazidarron: I seem to have a similar problem. =)

Gail Robey Says:

October 31st, 2008, 17:52 pm

Interesting post. I didn’t realize what a relief it would be to stop multi-tasking. I have ADD and I was way distracted by trying to keep all the balls in the air. Much better on every level to do one thing at a time.

Thanks,
Gail

Charles Lagana Says:

October 31st, 2008, 21:27 pm

I am in my sixties. When I was a student I would concentrate on one subject at a time.When I went into business at first it was single tasking then I switched to multi tasking and it worked fine, Now that I am older I still try to multi task and it’s becoming increasingly difficult. I will go back to single tasking and focus on my projects that are important to my life,The article has brought me back to reality.

FrugalNYC Says:

October 31st, 2008, 23:33 pm

The most important concept to remember before anything else is to figure out, for yourself, what is important to you. For many, this can take years if not decades to fully realize. Untill then, you will learn pieces of what you truly desire and wish to accomplish. Once it clicks and you figure it out, you can use all these focusing techniques. Until then, all you are doing is spinning a wheel in the air, going nowhere fast.

Herb Says:

November 1st, 2008, 2:26 am

I’ve only recently discovered this blog and as corny as it sounds… it feels like home. I’m an organisational nut and I’ve read loads of gtd posts!

Apparently being Libran contributes to my always looking for the balance. So; I don’t try to do too much at a time, but I do allow myself small distractions (it’s how I found zenhabits).

I use ‘Things’ by Culture Code to keep me on track and I’d like to meet sarah hudson. (…did I say that?!)

Nathan Hangen Says:

November 1st, 2008, 2:49 am

Awesome post.

I tend to turn non-emergencies into emergencies and have to remind myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Also, I have become very adept at visualizing and planning my day, however when the wheels come off I usually fail to react as well as I’d like. Any tips for that?

And meaning? Well there is no way around it, without meaning in my work (such as I feel at my job), effort is very difficult to sustain. In my personal endeavors however, the motivation of building my charity and spending more time with my family is very meaningful and as a result I am much more focused and content.

Practical Motivations Says:

November 1st, 2008, 4:43 am

Successful people are excellent at doing nothing else.

Sunshine Says:

November 1st, 2008, 11:37 am

I live in China,and the logo of your blog is from China,right?
We all pursue a balance in life,but life always plays a trick on us.
I like your website
If any of you want to know more about China,send me an e-mail
address:mohoti@163.com

Amanda Linehan Says:

November 1st, 2008, 12:22 pm

Having the right environment is key. There are certain things that help me to think and focus and certain things that don’t. If you are not in the right space it can be pretty difficult.

Giyen Says:

November 1st, 2008, 14:33 pm

Practice mindfulness. Practice mindfulness. Practice mindfulness. Practice mindfulness. Practice mindfulness. Practice mindfulness. Practice mindfulness. Practice mindfulness.

So easy to say, so hard to do!

http://www.baconismyenemy.com

Skotch Says:

November 1st, 2008, 19:19 pm

The saying is actually a russian proverb (it was specifically mentioned in Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky). It’s not too important, but I thought it was worth pointing out.

Charles Says:

November 1st, 2008, 20:31 pm

Dam! Slam! Bam! What a great post! Relavent, art iculate and real life. Aren’t we all trying to chase too many rabbits at once? This is such a practical–sobering thought.
Charles

Chris McKinnon Says:

November 1st, 2008, 23:52 pm

Focus always helps me thru my day. Thanks for the post!

Kim McGinnis Says:

November 2nd, 2008, 3:01 am

Those are all great suggestions. One I might add is if you have a lot of things to do, first the ones that are least appealing to you, but have to get done.

That way you will be less distracted when it comes to the more enjoyable tasks.

Godssecret Says:

November 2nd, 2008, 5:41 am

To focus on wordly pursuits as an end in themselves turns things around from the true order of the way they are supposed to be to disorder. By nullifying the will of Your body for the will of your soul. You and the world become fixed and the disorder of the world becomes subdued, nullified, and included in the order that will make things‘go your way’. As then things will be “working” according to proper order. When deciding what to do, one gives precedence to the Divine desire. Do His will like your will, and He will do your will like His will. One who knows he has enough is rich. No one needs to use their vitality chasing after accumulating material things they couldn’t possibly use in a lifetime. Its better to spend ones time and energy doing good deeds, by this they will gather blessings. You need to look at your physical occupation as a spiritual pursuit, it can be seen as just another means of linking to God. Do business faithfully. This aids the entire world to come to faith. Brings renewed energy by your work to improve the world. Know as a general principal that if one chases after that which is not meant for him. He loses that which is his own. Don’t chase after the wind. Wealth should not be treasured. Then one won’t be overwelmed inappropriately with desires for possessions. There is a appropriate medium where one works for a living with their trust in God concerning their future. Such a person in their lifetime will find sufficient time to allow them to take enough concern to fulfill what is necessary for the needs of their soul, and not only their body. Don’t get caught up in a false accounting. There is nothing worse than swindling oneself. This requires true objective introspection. You need to take a ‘spiritual inventory’. This refers to taking stock, account, and examining their deeds. Like the way companies invest money in hiring troubleshooters whose job it is to make sure that the business is operating to its maximum potential. How much more so should a person troubleshoot himself to secure his soul’s safety and upgrade its productivity to full potential. Trust in God will give them time long enough to think of the matters concerning their soul. This is where it all starts. This is something most people just don’t find the time to seriously engage in. The world is regulated according to judgment. We must have right and proper judgment. Through continuous self judgment one draws upon oneself the awe of Heaven. Thus he eliminates the need of judgment descending upon him from Heaven to force one to this awe. A 3 fold cord is not easily broken so always realize in all your thoughts that God is first, last and there is no other. You need to come to peace with your desires. Be careful of excessive desires of things of this world. As when there is a conflict between physical and spiritual desires this clash can interfere with one’s happiness. Numerous varieties of countless combinations of the many forms of worldly pleasures maddens the mind. If worldly interest does not die, true growth of the spiritual being cannot take place. One must shut out those desires and impulses which could damage one’s spiritual and their emotional well-being. Those that prevent you having peace of mind. Then your heart will not be confused, but remain undisturbed. You will then have tranquility of peace within. When your inner peace is disturbed energy is lost. You must work to keep your mind unfragmented, whole and centered.

Lots of good stuff at

http://godssecret.wordpress.com/

Peace

Herb Says:

November 2nd, 2008, 6:41 am

Mr God:

Insightful… lengthy. Can’t say I agree with a word of it.

“Nullifying the will of your body” …? So you’re saying be a blob?

Each to their own. I hope you agree.

Alison at Diamond-Cut Life Says:

November 2nd, 2008, 8:18 am

My favorite of the list is “Distinguish between the urgent and the important.” Important things are like a good lover — they feel good both during and after — while urgent things are like the ill-advised lover we’ve all experienced, i.e. seductive but crazymaking.
Sifting out the important from the urgent is one of my themes at Diamond-Cut Life http://www.diamondcutlife.org/

Scaevola Says:

November 2nd, 2008, 10:18 am

Hmm.. I don’t know if it’s feng shui, but if I even close my door, who seperates my room and the room where the computer i, I can focus much more on my homework.

Baljinder Singh Says:

November 2nd, 2008, 16:25 pm

Great article. I totally agree that multi-tasking is a killer for your productivity. You get much more achieved by concentrating on one task at a time. I have this habit of immediately switching to another task the moment I get stuck with some problem. As a result I end up having lot of unfinished tasks which keeps getting piled up. This results in lot of stress too.

Valeria | TimelessLessons Says:

November 2nd, 2008, 18:33 pm

My family got used to me being the one-stop-shop for all kinds of information. During the days when I was working at home and with deadlines, the constant interruptions drove me berserk. I had no place I could go and shut the door (perils of small income and smaller apartment). The fact that I could answer their questions while I was working didn’t mean I wanted to do it.

I finally threw a screaming fit at one too many interruptions for a question the answer to which was “If I wasn’t sitting here you could figure that out by yourself just fine.” I laid down the law. If I’m typing, I’m busy, and you do NOT interrupt me unless the house is on fire or someone’s spurting arterial blood on the rug.

That worked well enough.

Billy Says:

November 3rd, 2008, 14:54 pm

Multi-tasking was a disaster from the get-go. High blood pressure is about the most tangible result of multi-tasking. But creativity, which yields the greatest rewards of any enterprise, always results from being in the zone, with a clarity in one’s vision and mind. We can’t properly visualize what we’re trying to create or accomplish if our attention is scattered. Fragmented attention can’t get to the depth of an issue, where the seed of an idea lives. Most of us live our lives floating on a sea of multiple superficilaities.

Herb Says:

November 3rd, 2008, 17:43 pm

Must admit, after working in a recording studio for a couple of years, there was nothing like a ‘lock out’ session to get the creative juices flowing.

ching Says:

November 4th, 2008, 12:23 pm

hey! the article above was refered by a foreign friend, im into blogging also and this post is just great and helpful! especially to me… pls check out http://www.myxstuff.blogspot.com

Sarah Hudson Says:

November 9th, 2008, 0:42 am

Hi, Herb. I’m Sarah. Nice to meet you. :)

Eneza Says:

November 14th, 2008, 5:59 am

I could not agree more!!!!
A very good 10 thumbs up for number 10.

When was the last time I enjoy my food? Thanks for reminding!

Mark Says:

November 18th, 2008, 1:44 am

Not only is the watch you link to now shut down, it has been forced to do so “due to a Federal Court Order.”

Pretty strange… anyone know what happened?

Seamus Anthony Says:

November 19th, 2008, 18:11 pm

Sharp post Jonathan, I like.

Those who haven’t yet, why not check out this free eBook for a look at Curly’s Law - a concept very much related to this topic but more than just being about single pointed focus at any one time.

http://curlyslaw.com

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