How often do you get distracted while working? How often do you wander off in thoght while you should be focusing on what your doing? Stop. There is enough mediocrity in the world. You gain nothing by being half-assed, and it isn’t any easier than doing your best.
But it is scarier.

Giving 100% of our focus to the task at hand is the only way we can see what we are truly capable of. That scares people, because they think what’s produced is the best they’ll ever be capable of. Which isn’t true. Unless they continue to give just a fraction of their focus to everything.

And how often do we really focus on the moment we’re in? For me, it always seemed like a liability to focus in directly on the moment, sacrificing an opportunity to plan for the future, think out an idea, or just soak up more info. But then I looked at the level of things I was producing, and knew I could do so much more.

Giving complete attention is the only way we can give ourselves completely. And giving all we have in the moment ensures the perfection of the act. There was nothing more to be done. We were there with all we had. There’s no way we can go back and make things better.

Notice how there’s no room for regret in this approach. Only room for growth and progress.

Why is it we’re never taught the process of focus?

For the Taoists and Zen Buddhists, focus is the key to enlightenment. That is all they taught. When you wash dishes, wash dishes, and when you work, work. Rest when it’s time to rest. So simple, and yet it still takes monks years to put this idea into practice when living in monastaries.

But for the rest of us, putting focus in our lives creates an irreversible chain of events. You begin to grow from the odd occasion you near 100% focus, and realise the power within those moments. You get addicted, and search for more. For me, the focus search began with skateboarding.

Skating a half pipe at 30mph+ is the quickest way to learn concentration. Either focus and have your entire body in the right place at the right time, or fall and hurt yourself really badly. This is instant feedback on your concentration level. It’s no wonder so many kids love the sport.

But skateboarding isn’t an approach to making money. So I turned to writing as another focus outlet. And that has provided the biggest rewards in my life, both in understanding, and growing as a human being. Now I have a balance between my work and my play, and the same high concentration levels in both.

So how do you get focused, and start the path of complete focus?

Find something you love. And then commit to doing it every day. It can be anything, doesn’t matter, as long as it’s positive. Surfing, writing, drawing, painting, meditating, yoga, whatever. Find it and do it every day until you get to the point where you loose yourself within it. Then put that focus into your life, peice by peice.

Maybe the easiest part to start is cleaning. When you can clean with the same focus as doing what you love most, you’re on your way towards creating a better world, one with less mediocrity and more excellence. For everyone.

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 11th, 2006 at 11:23 pm and is filed under The Big Picture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.