I am very bad at focusing on things that matter. When it comes to completing a difficult task that requires focused effort I tend to auto-distract myself in a million different ways. I really hate this about myself but I take some perverse comfort in knowing that this is an epidemic problem.
It seems to be an altruism that anything worth doing is going to be difficult. The activities that create success in anything – business, music, friendship – do not tend to be simple. In short, it’s typically not the “low hanging fruit” that fills the plate. I find that when faced with a large problem that will require my brain’s maximum computing power I will downshift into a seemingly “important” task to find relief. In this way unimportant tasks are like crack to a junkie who’s trying to get sober.
Honestly, I can’t believe how easy it is for me to lose my focus and be distracted. It’s laughable. Yet I observe others around me struggling even more with how they conduct their lives of attention. So I’m reading a book that (haha) caught my attention – It’s called Rapt by Winifred Gallagher. Here’s an excerpt from my reading this morning:
WHATEVER YOUR TEMPERAMENT, living the focused life is not about trying to feel happy all the time, which would be both futile and grotesque. Rather, it’s about treating your mind as you would a private garden and being as careful as possible about what you introduce and allow to grow there. Your ability to function comfortably in a a dirty, germy world is just one illustration of your powerful capacity to put mind over matter and control your experience by shifting your focus from counterproductive to adpative thoughts and feelings. Rapt page 53
Of course, being able to focus your attention has benefits beyond being more successful in work. It can contribute to greater happiness in relationships and a greater sense of personal well-being.
If you’re like me and you can be best described as an attention scattered schizoid then you should pick up a copy of Rapt.
