Keep the Focus on Now: It's What Counts Most
“Forget past mistakes, forget failures, forget everything except what you’re going to do now, and do it.” – Will Durant
Far too many people waste time worrying over things they’ve done in the past. In the process, they often neglect or worse, can’t even recognize, opportunities that may be right in front of them.
Frankly, aren’t we all guilty of this on occasion? Even if we don’t want to admit it, I suspect we are. Regardless, being willing to see our possible tendency to dwell on past mistakes and/or perceived failures and then moving past that temporary negative line of thinking to remind ourselves that we live in the present and not the past is a good thing. This turnabout ensures we pay attention to the present, which is where we can act and implement plans. That’s the only way to accomplish goals, broaden horizons, and pursue long-held dreams.
And it’s a truth that lacking focus, we’re not going to be able to see where we want to be in the future. That’s true whether the future in question is next week, a year from now, of 10 years beyond today.
Here’s what happens when we commit full attention to an activity. It typically gets done faster, and usually with better results. It’s easier to zero in on what’s a necessity, to minimize distraction and sharpen attention to the task at hand. Athletes know this as being “in the zone.” It’s a good analogy to preparing for working on what needs to be done now.
Before you can focus, you need some task to begin, a goal to pursue, or an activity requiring effort now. Focus is not a concept of abstraction. It’s always specific in the context of action. Put this in real terms. Focus means figuring out what we need to do to concentrate our attention in the here and now and jumpstart our ability to be fully present.
This may require some practice, especially for those too accustomed to getting lost in social media or other time-wasters. Learning how to focus and live in the present won’t happen overnight. Suppose you tell yourself you’re going to eliminate all distractions and pay attention to what must be done now. That’s not going to make all those ever-present distractions somehow magically disappear. Instead, it will take concentrated effort to wrest thoughts away from dwelling on the past and a list of what went wrong (as well as worrying about mistakes or failures that may never occur in the future) to remain firmly in the present and do what needs doing now.
Another strong recommendation is to have a list of things to do. That way, there’s less likely to be a vacuum where thoughts can drift back to ruminate over painful experiences in the past.
Although everyone can benefit from some downtime, that too can be scheduled. Be sure to carve out time for enjoyable activities like gardening, reading, taking a hike in nature, lunch, or coffee with friends, starting a hobby, or taking a mini-vacation with loved ones and family members. Keep in mind, though, that even downtime requires focus. The best downtime recognizes living in the present and maximizing every second of being alive.
This is truly what counts in life.
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