You know you need to focus when you are writing another post about focusing!!
I think it
is impossible to multi-task effectively.
I think too many people spend their time juggling more than one activity
and take pride in doing so. That being
said, as a full-time working mother of two toddlers, I know that multi-tasking
is essential to survival. So how the
heck am I supposed to stay focused?
I can focus for larger amounts of
time at work. I have no choice. There are blocks of time when I have 20
students staring at me, just waiting to learn something fabulous. I have to be focused or else their attention
is lost. So, I make a valiant effort,
gather materials ahead of time and assume the position of “she who has the
knowledge.” Then, without warning,
something I am talking about, or a comment made by a student will send me off
on a roller coaster of a tangent. After
a few minutes, I realize what I have done.
I see a few of them have turned their attention to the pencils and
erasers on their desks – not a good sign.
So, I quickly come up with a bridge of information to carry them back on
track. Sometimes it works and sometimes
I just say, “Well, that was way off topic!”
See, it’s always good to admit you’ve lost your focus before you try to
get it back.
As you
already know I drag myself out of bed and pay homage to my Keurig while it’s
still dark to be able to get some quiet time to focus on my writing. I have decided to begin my morning with meditation
because I was found myself leaving the house feeling way too rushed and hectic
(as you will read about shortly!)
Problem is, I can’t focus long enough to meditate in quiet. OK, no big deal. I can put on some of my favorite music by
Krishna Das and settle into a chanting meditative state. I have a goal of ten minutes. I usually make it about two before I check
the time. Back to focusing. Then the thoughts creep in. In meditation you are supposed to “label and
let go.” I tend to grumble, kick them
out of my brain and restate my objective, “Focus!”
Another
little note about my writing…I have a little person who somehow knows it’s a
morning that I slept in a little and am crunched for writing time. Hence, while I am writing this, Andrew is
singing various themes songs, making weird noises and asking questions. I am trying to stay focused because my goal
was to blog today.
Mornings are not may
favorite. Even when it was only the dog
and I, I couldn’t get out of the house on time.
Now, I have the pleasure of getting myself and the boys ready. Can I stay focused on one thing at a time?
Nope. I have told myself for the past
few years to get things ready the night before, that way when I am trying to
fix my hair and face and one is requesting snack and the other is yelling
because the TV show has ended, I won’t feel frustrated. No luck.
Then I thought, I’ll stop what I am doing and get ready from 6 to 6:30,
when they are both (usually) asleep. However,
when I am writing, and the thoughts are flowing, it’s really hard to stop. Or, after a night of be woken up by “he who
yells out in his sleep,” I sleep in 30 minutes so I’m already starting later
than usual.
I really
want to focus more, I do. I will
continue to try. I am hoping to feel calmer and less frustrated. Until then, I join the multitude of
multi-taskers and get along the best I can!
P.S. Is any part of
this blog seem unfocused – don’t be surprised!
