After traveling last week, my routine is all thrown off. I can’t seem to focus on anything. See, just now I took my fingers off the keyboard to look at my journal in the hopes that maybe it holds some answers. Writing out my thoughts usually helps, but I’m already writing.
Maybe if I write down some of the tricks and tools I use to focus, it will help me and possibly even another person. I see you opening that social media app. And you with the Spider Solitaire. (ok, it’s really me)
When I lose the ability to focus, it’s generally time to step back and reassess things. What are my priorities and why? Am I neglecting some part of myself – health, finances, home, relationships, work. How are all these things going? What do I want to be focusing on?
Yeah, I just picked up my phone again. Why did I do that? What am I avoiding in my writing?
Recently, it feels like a block rather than lack of discipline. I got back into my workout routine yesterday without a problem. I’ve also been flowing with my fire props a couple of times every day. My eating kinda sucks, but it’s a full-time job to eat healthy on this island. Though I somehow found the time to bake brownies rather than vegetables yesterday. Hehe! Hmmmm...
If you’re reading this, you can probably see this pattern of my mind skipping all over the place. It’s actually a lot crazier up in here, but I’ll spare you. For now, I need to get some of this out, then find my center and work from there.
Meditation can help. I find I can’t sit still until I get out some of the frenetic energy. Running used to help. I’m kinder to my joints these days.
I left the keyboard for about twenty minutes to try a couple of things that sometimes assist my focus. Did you miss me??
I took a cushion and sat under my favorite neem tree. I didn’t close my eyes, chant, or force my thoughts to stop. I find that the "rules" of meditation ruin it for me. I sat comfortably and observed a honey bee, a gecko, the ocean in the distance, the sound of Sean’s weed whacker. Every living thing going about their day. I came back into my office and tried the sage clearing thing. I like the smell. I set an intention to call in flow and focus. I released anxiety, procrastination, distraction, the belief that I’m not enough and too much at the same time.
I’m still here at the keyboard. Was it what I needed to focus today? Only time will tell.
Today’s focus formula was:
1. Recognition of my out of control monkey mind (writing about it)
2. Changing scenery (the tree is about a 15 foot move)
3. Observing without judgement (who cares how you sit, think, etc – just observe the world outside you as it goes about its day)
4. Burn some shit (I recommend stuff without chemical scents and not burning down shit)
5. Set intention (call in what you want, release what you don’t)
I got a little woo-woo with sage and candles. Symbolism is powerful and it helps me. But these are simple methods for finding focus and clarity that require no special tools.
Do you have any kind of formula for focus? How’s it working for you?
What throws you off balance in the first place? Mine was all great things I did last week that I intend to continue. Connecting to new communities, putting myself out there, traveling. In the future, I’ll work on not focusing so much on what others think of me and more on connecting with them. That's where things got stuck.
How often does it all circle back to concern over what others think?
With that, I’m going to move on to my novel and describe a new kind of cryptocurrency…right after I figure out how it works.