On Focus, Time and doing your best work

When was the last time you where really focused on your work?

Do you feel like you are producing “good work”?

Or just what you can manage to create with a scattered mind and a ticking clock?

The scattered mind

It got a lot harder not to walk around with a scattered mind all the time when we think about how often we reach for our phones sometimes just simply out of habit.

I remember a while ago I was contemplating on the thought that so much content I came across on Instagram seemed shallow and without deeper meaning or information.

In times where everyone tries to beat the Instagram algorithm, writing for the sake of staying "relevant" has superseded writing because you actually have something to say.

We live in a time where everyone and everything is constantly fighting for our attention.

Do you give your attention intentionally or to the ones that scream the loudest?

Do you allow your brain to actually settle down or do you constantly bombard it with information?

On doing "good work"

I sincerely believe that in order to do really good work, we don't necessarily need a lot of time. But we need to be able to focus. We need to be able to let the dust in our minds settle and see clearly.

Aren't we all here to create something in this world? To do our best work?

Why are we so oblivious to the fact that living this lifestyle of constant interruption and noise is degrading all of the work we do?

Why do we still see meditation or mindfulness exercises as either something luxurious only people "who have the time" can indulge in or something we need to do when we are completely burnt out? Only to get back on track of course...

The concept of “not having the time”

A while ago I made an effort (and I should probably start again with this practice) not to use the expression "I don't have time".

Because, mostly - it's a lie.

We may not have the time right in this moment because we are employed and have certain work hours. Or we are looking after our child.

But most of the time we just choose to spend our time otherwise.

And it's time we own up to that.

That we (even before we are honest to everybody else) are honest with ourselves.

How much time are we spending on Instagram, Netflix, Whats App etc.?

Could we do otherwise?

Do we really not have the time to learn the skill that we always wanted to learn? Or do we just choose to be on our phones instead.

Do we really not have the time? Or would we rather not meet/call the other person and are afraid to say so or to simply let that acquaintance fade away.

 Our time and our focus are precious goods.

 And if we don't want to feel like a maniac who is constantly struggling trying to beat time we need to change something.

Here are some tips to get started:

 More focus:

• find a place for your phone in the house and leave it there.

• Set a timer on your Instagram. Mine is on 15 mins a day. I sometimes go over that limit but even being reminded how much time has already passed has been a game changer for me.

• Make it a habit of meditating at least 5 min a day. Ideally at the same time and place. Use Insight Timer to keep you on track. (I use the free version and I love that it tells you how many consecutive days you've meditated in a row. You simply don't want to fall back to day 1).

• Write down every evening: 3 things that gave you energy that day. 3 things that drained you.

• Make it a habit to look at your calendar and erase every appointment that is either not necessary or that you don't want to go to.

Better work:

• Do NOT place your phone on your desk.

• Set a timer for uninterrupted work. During that time you are not allowed to check your phone or open your browser. If you absolutely need to you can install programs that allow you only to open the websites/programs that you need for work purposes.

If we don't make a conscious effort to keep our minds clear and our work focused we not only will most likely never reach the work quality we would be otherwise capable of - we also living lives in which we are at the mercy of any new technology that is designed to catch our attention.

 Ask yourself: Do I want to be a creator or a consumer? Do I want to feel powerful and like I am producing good work or overwhelmed, powerless and at the mercy of a ticking clock?

Life is about choices. Always. Where we put our attention and focus is crucial for the life experience we are creating.

Written by Isabelle Brockbals, Founder of &Spirit.

Further reading/ Listening:

How we perceive time: The Big Leap - Gay Hendricks

Gay Handricks calls taking ownership of time "Living in Einstein Time" and offers really valuable insights on the core of our time problems.

One Commune Podcast conversation between Jeff Krasno and Marie Forleo.