How Do You Focus?

Being still and doing nothing are two very different things ~~ Mr. Han, Karate Kid (2010 version)

Your focus needs more focus ~~ Mr. Han, Karate Kid (2010 version)

A few weekends ago, my husband and I had a movie marathon - including the new Karate Kid flick. Five movies, two (and a half) days. How'd we do it with a toddler? Grandma (known in our fam as Nan) did a sleep over. Grandmother's, Nanny's, MeMaw's, etc. are wonderful things, but that isn't the point of this post. The point is noise.

In my every day life, I have a lot of noise. A 3-year-old will do that to you naturally, but it isn't just the kiddo. I have non-fiction projects and deadlines, self-imposed deadlines for my fiction writing, I have a critique group, I take workshops, I read (for pleasure and for work), I get an average of 200 emails/day, I have a busy husband, a radio show 2 nights/week, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping and the list goes on.

I should just cut some things out? I'd like to, but everything on my list is a Must Do. Not preparing for my radio show means no more show. No workshops means no learning. Not answering emails? Well, I'd be out of a job. Ignoring my critique group? Not gonna happen. Dropping the nonfiction? Uh-uh. Dropping the fiction? Tried. Can't. So I've learned to focus and be still.

First, focus. I can get through a list of 70 emails (even replying) in under a half-hour most days because I prioritized my inboxes. Things that can wait, wait. I do the simple first and come around for a second go-round if I don't clear the box. When I'm in the middle of a workshop, I've found I can use 15-20 minute 'breaks' to deal.

How do I do it? It all started with a kitchen timer. Email piling up? I set the timer for 30 minutes and deal with it. Haven't dealt with a workshop class? Set the time for 20 minutes and dive in. For those 20 or 30 minutes, I don't look at new mail, I don't click off the workshop page/email/chat. I focus on the task at hand. The first few days that timer annoyed me to death. Two years into timing things and I find I can focus totally into a small project and have it finished before the ringing bell.

Which brings me to the first quote above: Being still is not the same as doing nothing. In the midst of the noise - even the work-related noise - we all need to take time for ourselves or we'll lose focus. On everything. Finding ways to be still? I can't tell you how to do that. I've found several things that help me - I take a mid-afternoon break to play video games, I go for walks and sometimes I just drop everything to play with the kiddo. That's the best 'being still' I've found.

What methods have you found that help you find your focus? How do you take time for yourself in the middle of a hectic day?