A newsletter to support High Performance Leadership and Creativity in
Individuals and Organizations™
Vm.
1, No. 2, 2001
By
Jan Hoistad, Ph.D., LP and Associates
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The ability
to focus is an incredible tool to accomplish your goals, harness creative
ideas, save time and expenditure of energy. When I talk about focusing,
I am not speaking in a militaristic way, but rather, I am speaking
about a skill which studies have shown can
·
calm the mind and body,
· decrease stress, and
· allow us to do what needs to be done with grace, dignity, and flow,
thus experiencing more contentment.
It does
help in accomplishing a lot, if that is the goal. It can also separate
you from the riff-raff of extraneous doubts, worries, anxiety provoking
futurizing, and anything else your mind might habitually attached
itself to (e.g. what you are going to eat for lunch, what your wife
is going to say if you come home late from the office, if you are
going to catch a cold, if the stock market is going to impact your
ability to travel in 2020, if your 5 year old is going to get into
the right school someday, if you can ever please your parents even
though you are 35 or 40 years old, etc.)
I know
so many people who constantly spend mental and emotional energy of
things they cannot control or change. Or on things they are not even
responsible for or involved in (e.g. what that secretary in another
department is doing with her time, how a sister or brother is choosing
to live their lives, etc.)
In
simple terms, focusing means having a clear idea of what is most important
to you, what you want to accomplish - a short or long term goal -
and not allowing other random thoughts or activities to move you off
course when you have set aside time to focus on that activity. Of
course, this means employing a little self-discipline and consistency
as you practice! It is like muscle building - the mind is a muscle
and the more you exercise it the stronger and more flexible you will
become!
Meditation
experts often say the mind is like a monkey! And who wants to be led
around by a monkey - unless it is a trained monkey!
Much
of life is a juggling act. As we get older, busier, and have more
responsibilities, focusing becomes more and more important if we want
to get the basic household and life chores done, have relationships,
do the detail work at work, and also accomplish something creative.
My personal
life is probably not dissimilar from your own in these ways. If I
have set a goal to write certain articles or a book outline, my tendency
in earlier years was to assume I needed huge blocks of time, that
I had to be in the right "mood", and have few distractions. I used
to go off on mini "retreats", thinking I'd get the writing projects
underway. Hah! I'd end up writing in circles and missing out on a
mini "vacation"!
Over
the years I've learned to cut-my-losses and to improve my capacity
to focus. I write down the main things I want to do in all areas of
my life. I try to limit thoughts about what others think I should
be doing. And then I revisit and revise this list periodically.
I think
in terms of a month. My calendar shows a month (I admit! I do not
have a palm pilot!) and a year, and I think ahead and plot when I
will need to focus on a project. I also plan for times I can relax,
play, do chores, and meander meaninglessly so I do not feel deprived
or too imbalanced - although during intense creative output periods,
fun and relaxation are condensed and focused, too!
During times of creative thinking, I try to bring my mind back gently
to what I need to conceptualize. I have learned not to force the thoughts,
but rather, I will putter - errands, gardening, and household chores
that are nonlinear are best for me.
I put
a note by my bed about what I am trying to write or problem solve
- the outcome or goal desired. If I have a tight timeframe, I also
put a list of the due dates for added focus. I try not to work on
it at other times, although I write down every inspiration that comes
to me and have note paper everywhere - in my car, by the bathroom
sink, on the kitchen cupboard, and in my jacket pocket (I often find
my mind composing things when I am taking the dogs for a walk!).
During
these focused times, I'll sometimes awaken more in the night and have
paragraphs in my head. I've learned to write them down right away
and usually go right back to sleep if I do.
This
is considered "incubation time". What happens is that "creative tension"
builds during this time of meandering. I go about my life, but I have
assigned to my subconscious mind the idea or problem and then I just
capture the "droppings" of my mind - but I don't do anything specific
with them.
I am considering creative output to be anything you want to accomplish
- from preparing a meal and entertaining friends, to developing an
artwork, to a new invention your team is creating.
During
this phase, focusing is about the output - How am I going to arrange
my life, my time and energy, to get the "work" done. If it is writing,
I schedule to get up everyday at 6:15, make my coffee and go right
to the computer for the flow of creative output. I "force" myself
to work only on the article, proposal, or project I have assigned
for that day. I try not to read emails, answer the phone, or schedule
workmen to do house repairs since I write at home. I tell the dogs
when they will walk and make them wait - impatient as they may be!
The amount
of time I have to do a project is usually the amount of time I actually
have at my disposal. This usually is dependent upon a client meeting
or coaching session. And, the surprising thing is, no matter if I
have 2 hours or 4 hours to write, I get that project done within that
amount of time!!
Then,
I schedule plan what output I will do the next day and the next, until
the project or creation is accomplished!
To acknowledge
and celebrate our accomplishments is a key in learning to focus. Every
time we strengthen this mental muscle, every time we do what we set
out to do, we should take a moment or an evening to savor the victory!
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