Focus - March 15th 2021

As a kid I had focus to spare. I wouldn’t move on from one task until I had completely finished with it (to the best of my ability of course). I remember I would read books as quickly as possible, watching the images play out in my head and being enamored. It felt like I couldn’t change focus at all, I was sucked in. Even when it came to cleaning, I would clean every nook and cranny in the house. I would wash my car and vacuum it all completely. School work was the same as well, I would do it all start to finish.

BUT, today? That’s a completely different story. You’d expect that as we get older we’d find that our focus narrows and we get better at following through on things from start to finish, yet for me that is not the case at all. I lose focus more these days than I ever had in the past. I’ll start a dozen things all at once, move forward with the setup process, complete maybe 20% then just swap over to something new. It’s a habit I have fallen into and I despise it.

I started book 2 of The Last of Ryn Dvarek and planned every detail, I love the direction and am excited when I think about it. Some days though, after I get set up to write, I just can’t focus at all. I tell myself I’ll watch a quick YT video or listen to a podcast while I do my actual work (I still have my regular old job job), maybe peruse reddit or facebook. Then, hours later, I’ve written approximately nothing and decide to close up shop for the day.

Focus isn’t a trait, it’s not something that we have one day and so we’ll always have it. We can lose our ability to focus as quickly as we lose our physique, which just so happens that we can lose rather quickly when eating whatever we want!

Focus is hard. It’s planned and it’s a mental exercise. It’s something we have to work at consistently and encourage ourselves to do. Not completing things we start is a horrible habit to fall into and the only way to change is with a first step, that first bit of immense effort. It’s not easy to change and it won’t happen overnight but it is doable.

I am disappointed in myself for letting my focus drift. Writing is important to me and I truly enjoy reading the comments and reviews that you folks post. Even the negative ones, criticism is key in improving.

You might be wondering where my focus was swept away to and I’ll answer that in one word: GameStonk.

The change we want to see in ourselves will always be within reach, it just takes a bit of courage and effort.

Til next time,

DO