Two Ways to Focus Before Starting Another Task
1 Minute Meditations and Focus Stones
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New idea energy is electric, and I love to ride the lightning. New ideas are exciting and addictive. But they do not help me finish and implement the ideas that I’ve already had. In fact, it often does the opposite. I am a 70% finished kind of guy. I want this to change.
I’ve been reflecting on this problem: why do some of us struggle to finish things?
I am still exploring this inquiry, but I want to share a few things I’ve learnt so far.
Some of us need to stumble upon our own solutions, in our own time. An expert could probably look at my workflow and point out exactly where I am stumbling. But sometimes, I am not in the right place to listen. Sometimes, I need to suffer from the pain of my own struggles before I feel ready to change my behaviors. This pain is often the trigger to awareness. Without it, I wouldn’t even know that there was a problem in the first place.
I’ve discovered that I need reminders to focus and reorient towards my primary tasks and goals. These are two techniques that I’ve learnt the hard way. I hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me.
Orienteering
I often need reminders to start tasks. Or to start another task after I’ve finished the first one. Lightning only appears in a storm. I frequently stumble during transitions between tasks. This is also known as context switching, I recently wrote an article about it. It has taken me awhile to realize that I need more control over my day. I think of this as orienteering. I want to direct my attention in whatever direction I want it to go. Awareness that I’m stumbling is the first step.
Everybody’s workflow is different. All we can do is experiment with a technique and see if it works for us. I’ve become reliant on lightning flashes to see the next few steps in a project. My workflow is a storm and I need a compass to find an easier way. Meditation has become my compass. Let me tell you about it.
