Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Centered, Focused

One of the factors that definitely influences my ability to work and to be motivated to do so, is whether I am focused or not.  Have you heard of the expression 'being centered'?  My understanding is that it means being focused, in a way that my mind and my energy are directed to the current issue or project.

Many times I find myself living in a cloud of multi-faceted distraction.  If I feel even half-way motivated (or pressured) to do what I should be doing, I might get started and then shortly be pulled in another direction.  Obviously this is bad medicine for anyone who wants to complete tasks and reach goals.

I have not figured out the perfect formula for getting myself focused, and it is not always the same thing that works.  Here are a few things that have worked at different times:

power nap - after 20 minutes of refreshment, my mind is ready to focus.

caffeine - sometimes a good dose of caffeine makes a difference.  On rare occasion I could almost feel it working and my mind clearing.

change of location - I work in an open pod kind of setting so there are plenty of distractions around me.  Sometimes I do much better if I can get alone. (and sometimes I can be distracted when I am all alone).

Different task - When I am having trouble sticking to one task, I might do better to switch to another.  Sometimes completion of a simpler task will give me a dose of motivation to tackle something else with a little more determination.

I wish you the best as you try to stay focused and on task!

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