December 4 #AdventWord #FOCUS

Today, I'm thinking about what focus isn't. It isn't multi-tasking. Other than when we're talking about computer processers, we should eliminate the concept from our vocabulary. Studies have found that humans cannot multi-task. We may be increasingly efficient at switching between one thing and another, but during that switch, everything suffers - time is lost as your brain re-focuses on its new task, and you have to quickly recall where you were with the new task. It's a dumb concept for humans. 

I'm striving to be less multi-tasked at work, in my brain and with my family, to actually focus on one thing at a time. Novel, huh?  

     At work, I have a ginormous list that I've historically flit through. Recently, I've identified the 3-5 things I need to accomplish today. Magically, when I focus on the big things, they are completed. When my 3-5 things turns into 10 because of a super-busy day, I lean on gimmicky-but-effective tools, like the Pomodoro Method, which work very well for me. 

     At home, I will keep the phone down at all times, except when I'm alone. or need to do something as a part of our conversation. I'll listen intently.

     In my head, I'm really good at pretending to multi-task. I think hundreds of thoughts, each of which receives about 3 seconds of my attention. That means they're all half-baked, both the bad and the good. Journaling in the morning has helped that. I spend 20 minutes writing. It affords me the time, and trains my brain to finish a thought; to focus on one thought to its completion. How else would I have had anything to say about Focus? And how else would I take time for thinking about faith and God?

For this new church year, I aim to continue to focus on where I am, what I'm doing, who I'm with. I'd like to increase my focus on what I think about faith, God and that dance I'm in with the Holy.