"Always remember - your focus determines your reality." - George Lucas
Good morning everyone, I hope you're all happy and well, and feeling ready for a new week on planet Earth ! 😊
I realized I haven't posted anything last week. Not because I didn't want to or that I was in lack of inspiration, but because I wasn't able to focus properly. Too many things to do, too many places to be, too many emotions to feel. So today, I am writing these lines about the importance of developing a focused mindset - not because I am a master at it, but because it's something I'm trying to get better at in 2024. And perhaps, you are too?
I'm one of those people who tend to have many passions and interests in life. Often, many of them coincide in a short period of time. This is probably one of the reasons I dropped out of university, studied many different things outside of it, had at least 20 different jobs, volunteered for more than 30 projects and been to + 60 countries. I've also started many things I haven't finished - no regrets, but not proud of it either.
I knew when I decided to create Meditaction, this was one of the greatest challenges I was yet to endure: choosing one main thing to focus on for my entire life (or so).
This idea has always scared me, in all areas of existence. Choosing just one person to be with, choosing only one career to dedicate myself to, choosing the one country to live in... I'm aware it's also a generational thing - many of my millennial and Gen Z friends have these same struggles. The more internet and technology have gained importance in our lives, and the more information seems to be available in our world, the harder it seems to maintain focus.
The reality is, we live in a world filled with distractions. 🤹
And our time is limited.
If we don't develop our ability to focus, we will get to the end of our lives without having lived the life we truly aspired to.
And that is not an option, right? 😏
Focus: More Important Than Intelligence?
What's the point in having a brilliant mind, if we aren't able to focus?
Intelligence provides the ability to generate ideas, but focus is what allows those ideas to be executed effectively. So, intelligence and focus have to waIk hand-in-hand. I am experiencing it often with my creative work at Meditaction. There are so many ideas I have for the project, but so very few that have been completed so far. Of course, there are other things needed to manifest many of these ideas: time, people, ressources, synergies, physical spaces. But I'd say the one thing they all require as a basis, is focus.
It is only when we are highly focused that we can bring a project or task to completion, turning ideas into tangible outcomes. The quality of our focus is fundamental to every aspect of who we are, and ultimately, it is what shapes our lives. "Where focus goes, energy flows."
Focused-Attention Meditation: A Way to Develop Concentration
I must say that even though I am not yet at the level of focus in life I aspire to, I've gotten much better at it over the last years. And one of the greatest tools I've found to develop concentration and stay focused on what matters, is focused-attention meditation. This is the type of meditation we usually teach to beginners.
During focused attention practice, the meditator is taught to sustain attention on an automatic and dynamic stimulus, such as the breath. As attention drifts from the object of focus to a distracting sensory event, the practitioner is taught to acknowledge the event without further reaction, to disengage from the discursive event, and then to return attention to the meditative object.
If you want to experience it, you can find one of those meditations on our youtube channel. Later this week, I'll upload a new one on concentration that I am preparing for you (if I manage to keep the focus to finish it 😄).
Every morning I practice this type of meditation at least for a few minutes, as a preparation for other types of meditation. Sometimes, if the mind is really restless and all over the place, I practice focused-attention meditation throughout my whole morning session. When I do this, I usually can stay focused and productive for longer periods of time. And if needed, I do another short session after lunch, before diving into the afternoon tasks.
It really helps.
The only difficult thing, is to choose to do it.
Other 5 Ideas to Develop a Focused Mindset
Eliminating distractions: Distractions are everywhere. On our electronic devices, but also on the physical space around us, and even in our minds. They can be people, thoughts, food in a fridge, a coffee machine in the area, all the tabs open on our computer or phone, a book, all our social media apps... We can't always avoid people 😊, but striving to eliminate the rest is really crucial if we want to focus.
No multitasking: Last week I wasn't able to create any youtube video or blog post because I decided to do too many things in a short period of time. I ended up doing many things, but not all I wanted to do. This week I'm keeping in mind: Less is more. Less things to do. And one thing at a time.
Background music: I've always enjoyed using music to help me stay focused. At the moment, I work mostly in a co-working space, and sometimes putting on my noise-cancelling headphones with some classical, ambient, jazz, downtempo, shamanic, psytrance (any music that is pure waves/beats and no words/voice) is the only way to narrow the focus down and stay in my own bubble.
Taking regular breaks: Breaks are vital. The duration of our concentration can greatly depend from one person to another, on our mood, level of energy, the task itself, and so many other factors. It is important to listen to our body and mind, and take regular breaks to walk, stretch, look outside at the window and get reminded that there is a world outside of the task we have at hand. Then we can come back, and focus again. Better.
Exercising/Being in nature: There are tons of studies to confirm it. And it's just common sense. Spending good quality time outdoors makes it easier for us to then stay indoors and concentrate in our work. The more we release happy chemicals in the brain by exercising or connecting deeply with nature, the easier it becomes to work joyfully and attain deep states of flow. 🌊
There are also several amazing books written on this topic. Two that have truly helped me in the past are "The One Thing" by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan, and "Deep Work" by Cal Newport. Both offer excellent strategies for sharpening your concentration and helping you accomplish what really matters in your life.
Now that I've focused enough to write these lines and share them with you, I can start this new week with a feeling of joy and fulfillment. 🥳
Ultimately, I believe this should be the aim for our deep focus: accomplishing things that bring us happiness and meaning, and help us make the world a better place.
With that in mind... I'm curious. What are you deciding to focus on this week? 🎯
Love,
💗
Tati
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