Getting Focused

Getting focused

Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established– Proverbs 4:26

Have you ever struggled getting focused? I am talking about conquering distractions. I have a tendency to get distracted not just by outside sources such as; phone calls, unexpected visits to the office, etc… but also inside distractions like; I wonder what the golf course is like, I wonder if the fish are biting, I need to get mulch around the house, I need to finish the floor in the spare bedroom, I need to visit these people, I need to get this other project completed soon?

It is difficult to concentrate on what you are doing if you have a dozen other things going through your mind that you’d like to do, or know you have to do. As summer approaches there will be a lot of temptation to abandon the important things of life.

A miserable person is someone who thinks about work when he is at play and thinks about play when he is at work. It is hard to give yourself fully to either if your mind is not fully engaged. I can’t play golf well if I am thinking about things I have to do for work nor can I work well if I am thinking about the pleasure I could have playing golf. There is only one solution and that is to schedule it all.

Take time to think ahead and consider what needs to be done. Estimate the time you need to accomplish your “to do’s”. Always give yourself a little extra time so you don’t feel rushed when you are working on the project.

Remember the important things do not demand our attention like pleasure does. Therefore we need to schedule them. If you want to enjoy leisure time to the max than you must take care of the important things; devotional time with God, paying your bills, changing the furnace filters, checking the oil in your vehicles, investing in your marriage and other relationships, etc… I have to schedule days to get certain projects completed. If I don’t I will get behind in a hurry. Planning takes time but it is time well invested because it will save time in the long run. Your mind will relax best if you have scheduled leisure time. Your leisure will turn into a seizure if you don’t take time to do the important projects of your life.

Once you have scheduled your projects and leisure, be sure to give your schedule some flexibility. A Chinese proverb says, He who is flexible will not get bent! There will always be things that come up on any given day that will trump certain projects on your to do list, so rather than experience the stress of what should I do, accept the reality by planning for it. If you happen to finish early, than, Yippee!!! You get free time to do what you want.

Remember your schedule is only as useful as your willingness to work it. If you feel it is to restricting than you may need to rewrite it to better fit your nature. You may have a lot of things you know need to be done around the house and at work but the truth is, you will feel much better knowing you have these projects scheduled. This way you don’t have to constantly think about them until it is time to think about them.

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