Scatterbrained? Here’s How to Regain Your Power, Focus and Productivity

We all know that something is much more likely to thrive if we give it our love and attention. Just like raising a child or growing a garden. You cannot develop a highly successful business or lose a ton of weight if you are not entirely committed. But in today’s world, it is becoming more and more of a challenge to FOCUS!

Energy Flows Where the Attention Goes

For example’s sake, I invite you to think of a fire hydrant with a hose attached, turned on full blast. If it were left alone, the hose would spray wildly in every direction, unpredictable and very ineffective! However, if we step in and direct the flow of water where we want it, using one thing at a time, we could get the job done a lot quicker and with less water (energy) lost in the process.

Our Scatterbrained Society

Technology

While I am extremely grateful for all the conveniences of technology, I realize that it is speeding us up in some ways and slowing us down in others. Today, more than ever, we are glued to our iPhones, all day and all night, most people sleeping with it right beside their head. Gone are the days when the workday started at 9 and ended at 5. We just don’t know how to power off for even a few hours because we have F.O.M.O (fear of missing out). This is especially true in the big cities; there is a real pressure to respond immediately, for fear that if we do not we will be considered a bad friend or lazy employee. When we hear the chime of our phone, we stop, drop everything and run to our phone. Sounds a lot like Pavlov’s dog experiments doesn’t it?

Between social media, emails, phone calls and face-to-face interactions, it is no wonder we can’t get anything done. I am not advocating one boycotts technologies; rather I am proposing implementing the practice of mindfulness in all areas of life.

Multitasking

Multitasking goes hand-in-hand with the advancements in technology. Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. The researchers also found that people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time.

Instead of having a laser focus on just one task or thought, we try to maximize our time and end up getting less done overall. With each new task at hand, our attention and power become diluted. Before we know it, we have over 10 windows open on our desktops, reminders and notifications popping up all day long and we are left with our heads spinning.

I must admit; multitasking is easy to fall into, we gain a sense of self-importance when we have a lot going on at once. Commonly, we choose to busy ourselves or multitask to avoid being alone with our thoughts and experience what we are genuinely feeling. Multitasking is stimulating just like driving dangerously fast or doing drugs; we chase the high. Yup, that is right, multi-tasking is an addiction except it is totally legal and actually promoted in our culture. However, like all self-destructive behaviors, it has consequences and will eventually catch up with us -evidenced by the skyrocketing rates of fatigue and burnout.

How can we harness our energy and become a super productive powerhouse and abundance magnet?

If you focus on one thing at a time and truly give it all that you have, you will use your time a lot more efficiently, and you will be so much happier with the results. For instance, delegate different time slots throughout the day to take care of emails only. If you react every time the little alert pops up on your screen, your attention is taken off of the task at hand. Even if you just look at it, it will take a few more seconds for you to get refocused on whatever you were working toward.

Present Moment Awareness

Being present, goes beyond being polite by putting your phone down for lunch with a friend. To be present is to be aware of your surroundings and to give 100% of your attention to this moment. It is easy to get lost in future-tripping or dwelling in the past, but life happens in the HERE and NOW!

If you are fixated on anything other than enjoying the present moment, know that you could be using your energy more efficiently to G.S.D (get shit done) and experience all that life has to offer. Worrying, judgmental and negative thinking hogs up the energy bandwidth and, of course, anything we place our attention on grows; so it only brings more to be fearful of. It is simple, if you want more of something in your life, set yourself up for success and focus on it.

Meditation

There is no better way to clear the slate and recalibrate than by sitting quietly. When you go deep in meditation, your thoughts part like water and you are able to see your inner world in a new light. Regular meditation allows you to gain invaluable insight into your problems and check-in with yourself to see what is happening underneath the surface of the ‘you,’ you show the world.

Meditation is not something that you get right away, and it takes patience and practice, just like learning to ride a bike. You may try 150 times and on the 151st time something will click and you will understand why everyone raves about it. Meditation is a surefire way to harness our energy and put it to good use, and it will definitely help you to find the clarity and focus you need in today’s busy world.

So starting today, notice how many times your mind is distracted and your power is diluted. It may come as a shock to realize how segmented our minds really are, but awareness is the first step in reclaiming your power! Soon with the practice of present moment awareness and meditation, you will have laser-beam focus, more power, and better results than you ever could have imagined!