focused attention and … what was the other thing?

i discovered a lovely post this morning about focusing attention that perfectly describes what i’ve been struggling with: doing too many things at once. trying to do too much is my tendency, and i’m not sure where or when it began. my parents and brother are always described as easy going or laid back, whereas i, growing up, garnered adjectives such as perfectionist, driven, and busy. i’d prefer to be known as laid back, but i’m not. in any case, here’s what caught me:

Four years ago, I was an enthusiastic cookie fresh out of school, ready to take on the world and to finally “Achieve Something!” I saw other people’s successes and strived to do the same. Problem was, I was finding inspiration from several people more experienced than me, saw their results and then attempted to attack all of my goals at once.

right. no longer fresh out of school i believe i caught myself thinking the same thing this week: when the bloody hell am i actually going to achieve something? what have i done with my life? is there time to do anything else?

the prescription is, for the author of the quoted post, to focus. set fewer goals. banish diffusion. notice how you feel when you begin to do so.

the results? less guilt, less dissatisfaction, less exhaustion. and when your focus is on the right things (for you — there’s a handy ‘how to figure out your focus’ list too), more power in that area. more meaningful activity.

it sounds simple. i know it isn’t. but it’s a valid reminder for me at the right time.