Zen

I am making efforts to reclaim my word of the year: Focus.

I've been noticing a pattern lately, I go in the kitchen and find the dishes started, but only half done. I go in the bedroom and find that I've made the bed, but never finished putting all the pillows on it. Downstairs, there's the laundry in it's recent state of perpetual progress. On my desk, a pile of things to go through...later.

Where's my focus? All over the place.

So when I came across 12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk I was intrigued and recognized the need to seriously implement some of these ideas. After a few days of thinking about this, I have compiled my own list of 10 Habits to Achieve Focus, with inspiration from a few different sources.

1. Do one thing at a time. Oh this is hard for me. I often feel like I'm letting something go if I'm doing another thing. I might be working on something, but my mind is elsewhere.

2. Finish what you start. Examples above. The key will be to muster up all my patience and just finish the one thing I am doing before moving on to something else.

3. Do it now. I will often notice something that needs to be done and plan to go back to it. You know the results.

4. Clean off desk every night. At least sort through it so it doesn't look so intimidating and confusing in the morning.

5. Make only one list per day - and a new list each day. Lately I'll just write something down as I think of it -- on a notepad, in my caldendar, on last week's list.... Too confusing.

6. Take time to write or meditate every day. Writing, or just thinking, helps me sort out my mental clutter. Too often I skip this.

7. Take time to read every day. For me, this means the scriptures.

8. Be aware of the unneccessary and eliminate. How many useless things take up our thoughts and time and space?

9. Hold kids more accountable for their own tasks. My problem is not following through with them which ends with their stuff going undone or doing it myself.

10. Enjoy the process. I think this one may come more easily if I'm at least making efforts on the above. It's a matter of being present.

Word for the Year

FOCUS

I've been thinking about a word to choose for 2008. I've seen several interesting, insightful and inspiring words on my journeying around blogs lately. Many options have been bouncing around in my mind and I was wondering if I'd even commit myself to choosing a word. Today one fell into place. Focus.

(The multitasking desk)

Oh how easily distracted I am. Multitasking is certainly a useful skill, but if taken too far it can be counter-productive. Sometimes I catch myself with 5 or 6 Internet windows open at one time, trying to accomplish or read something on each site. Or I'll be in the middle of something - like cooking - when I remember something else and rush off to take care of it before I forget. The results are not always good.

In light of the thoughts in my earlier posts about time, I'm committing myself to focus. To truly live in the present moment. When I'm reading to Jemma at bedtime, I'll not be forming yet another mental list of what I need to do tonight or tomorrow. When I'm talking to Jordan, I'll enjoy our conversation without always looking for an opportunity to remind him of his responsibilities. When I'm exercising, I'll be aware of my surroundings and appreciating that moment for what it is rather than thinking of what I'll rush off to next, (or what I'd rather be doing). When I'm going to sleep at night I'll relish the feel of the sheets and the quiet of the house and the blessing of comfort.

I have a feeling that focusing on the task at hand, whatever it may be (many times not even literally a "task"), will be a pathway to greater peace and balance and achieving the things I really want to. Every day. What do you think?

Flow

I really enjoy This American Life. The quirky NPR radio show that each week has a theme and then stories that go along with the theme. I download the podcasts so I can listen while I'm doing things that I don't particularly enjoy doing (like cleaning the bathroom) because I get all caught up in the stories and the time goes quickly. I learned today, from this very program, that it's called being in the flow.

This morning I got up and thought it would be a good idea to run on the treadmill. I was consciously wishing that I loved to exercise. I find myself getting distracted, checking the time at least 4 times each minute, counting down, and feeling a general sense of impatience when I workout. So I listened to an episode of This American Life hoping that I'd be so caught up in it that I'd lose track of time and suddenly be done and feel good about it. It didn't happen that way, but it was ironic that one of the stories was about the subject of Flow.

The narrator of the story was talking about how he likes to make things, like crafts, and that when he's creating he experiences a "blissful absence of the self and a loss of time." He even compared it to what people who love to exercise must feel when they're working out! Achieving flow, which is a term that was coined by a Hungarian psychologist, is all about not being self-concious of what you're doing so that whatever you're doing is just flowing out of you. Pretty much, it's what you feel when you're doing something you really love to do.

The question is, how does one get to the point of achieving flow in an activity when it doesn't come naturally? (Is it possible?) And, the other question is, what's your flow? Comments, please.