Is it possible to focus on more than one thing at a time?Here is an experiment for you. Look up after reading this paragraph and FOCUS on something across the room. Pick one thing to focus on, a clock, picture, anything. Bring your attention to the object. Bring it into focus. Now, keeping the object in focus, use your peripheral vision to see everything else. Notice anything?
What I want you to notice is that once the object you’ve picked is in focus and is holding your attention, nothing else in view is in perfect focus even though you can “see” and identify many other things. Not only is the peripheral view out of focus, it is impossible to bring another object into focus and attention while maintaining your focus and attention on the original object. Focus must shift between objects in order to become clear.
Cell phones, text messaging, email, Twitter, facebook, advertising, and daily deadlines are pushing and pulling to get our attention and focus every waking minute of everyday. As technology has gifted us with the ability to stay connected, we are challenged everyday in the ability to focus on the task at hand.
Lesson Learned #1: Take a hint from the experiment above on how we are hardwired and learn to manage and limit those things that compete for your attention. Because even nature demands that we focus on one thing at a time.
Posts
Good job with this post. A lesson I learned very late was that single-task focusing is a very powerful way to get what you want. I spent many years trying to multi-task my way through everything.
ReplyDelete