I find it enjoyable to be totally laser focused. I like the feeling of gaining clarity over a situation and I will put my blinders on to everything else and dig to the bottom of an issue.
Being able to focus like this has its benefits. I like to do good work because it feels good to know you’re doing a good job. I don’t get easily distracted when I’m working on a project (the kids don’t always appreciate this if they are needing a taxi driver), whatever I start I always finish, and when I am engaged in conversation you have my full attention.
However, there are times I overdo it. For everything that’s good, there is also a bad side.
I will work on something for weeks without looking up or looking around and as I come to completion and my blinders start to lift, I will wonder where all of the people have gone in my life and why I haven’t seen them in so long.
Usually I do this in sprints, and then take a rest and enjoy life for a while. When a project pops up, I would normally dive in, complete it, and take a rest.
I’ve been focusing on one project and then another continuously for about 8 months now and there hasn’t been much of a break.
I’ve learned so many things on this continuous sprint that I can’t summarize them in one blog post, but a few that are on my mind this morning are:
- You can’t keep sprinting on projects and eating what’s quick and easy…or cookies. My body has taught me that sprinting on a project is not the same as physically sprint running. It’s become sedentary and asking it to move this summer has been painful at best.
- When you laser focus on a project you miss the guidance from the universe. I had a family of hawks move in to my place and they swoop at me. Hawk medicine teaches us to circle over our life and examine it from a higher perspective. Coincidence? I think not.
- Laser focus keeps you tense, so you occasionally need to distract yourself. Find something you really enjoy and immerse yourself in it. Your body will appreciate the mental break.
- It would be great to hire a chef to keep you eating healthy, a housekeeper to keep your house presentable, and someone to do the laundry before your clothes start to smell. These are not distractions they are extra burdens. If you are lucky enough to have a spouse who does them for you, be grateful.
- Friends and family who don’t let you kill yourself are the best. They make you do other things, they check on you to make sure you’re still breathing, and they wait patiently until the blinders come off. The ones who have stuck with me for the last 8 months are the real gems.
- No matter how hard you try, how much work you do, and how good of a job you’re doing, there will still be people who try to rain on your parade, kick you while you’re down, and make life harder than it needs to be. But for everyone of those Debbie Downers, there is a team of people who care. While you are deep in focus, also focus on the good people. They will keep your heart full, and with a full heart you can take on the world.
- Eventually you realize there is a never ending amount of work to do and emergencies to deal with. Sometimes you just have to accept what is good enough already and ship what you have out the door.
I’m about ready to end my continuous sprint, take a break, and enjoy the beautiful summer we are having.
It won’t be for long because I still have lots to accomplish, but I know the best things in life are the people you love, the experiences you have, and the memories you make… so I need to do some cultivating in those departments soon.