Where do I start to improve my focus?

Aligned, relentless, undistracted focus.

That level of laser-like focus has been on my mind for many years. I've dabbled. I've had brief periods where I'd give myself a passable grade, and even fewer moments where my focus has been on point. And yet, even though I can rationally comprehend how important and powerful focus can be, sometimes my focus is shit.

It's not easy to write that, and it is entirely true.

I can use every excuse in the book and even invent some new ones, but it doesn't change the fact that my level of focus needs improvement.

As I write this, I certainly don't have all of the answers.

What I do have is a starting point. It starts with subtraction.

To make room for more and better focus, I'm going to eliminate. Looking at my current workflow, schedule and day to day, there's so much opportunity to reduce and streamline.

And that's where we begin. Subtraction first. Simplify the equation.

Why is Alignment so important?

If you asked me 5 years ago to define alignment, I probably would have said something about the wizardry of a chiropractor. And then a series of unaligned events took place and one actual wizard appeared in my life.

Since then, I've been obsessed with Alignment.

Here's a wonderful quote I saw today:

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” – Swami Vivekananda

The way that I think about Alignment these days is a strange and involves some engineering.

Whether its the Alignment of a team or just our internal Alignment within our own mind and body, I like this metaphor. Picture a bunch of row boats towing a much larger boat. Now imagine only 10% of those boats are rowing in the direction you want to go and the rest are either not rowing at all, rowing in their own direction or worst of all rowing in the opposite direction. In this case, you are not moving that large boat very fast if at all, and the 10% rowing won't stick around for very long.

I think about the metaphor probably every day. I've been on teams like that where everyone is rowing in their own direction. I've had times where internally I've been rowing in different directions. And I've also seen what's possible when true Alignment happens.

This is the difference exceptional leadership can bring to the table.

When you've been in an environment of competing rowers and suddenly all the rowers are working together in synchronization and harmony, the improvement is exponential. This is the way to success.

Can I embrace the land beyond?

There’s a wonderful, yet lightly traveled path one step beyond our comfort zone.

And because it’s outside our comfort zone, we naturally head back to safety as expeditiously as we can.

Our goal then is to see if we can stay in the land one step beyond just a little bit longer.

That’s where the magic happens.

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I had a moment of clarity and flow this afternoon while sitting in the sauna.

With ideas flowing, I decided to stay a little longer than I normally would have.

After I got out of the sauna, I got a quick drink and went right back in. Round 2. Sweat burning my eyes. Hair an uncomfortably hot temperature. Heart pumping. And a brief moment of bliss.

While this afternoon was physically challenging, it doesn’t have to be. Stay in mediation 30 seconds longer than feels comfortable. Be with you emotions a little longer than you want before moving on or checking out. Practice a little more. Draw more. Write more. Create more. In the land just beyond our normal.

That little bit extra is not only building the muscle to make it more comfortable next time, it’s also where the biggest breakthroughs come from.

But for real, what should I do?

Yesterday, I wrote my shortest post yet (with moderate levels of snark).

If we accept that we must not do our shoulds, how can we best spend that "should" time instead?

Pick a hobby that brings you a lot of joy. Or spend time cultivating a new hobby.

I found this amazing study about Nobel Prize winning scientists. Here's what it found:

"Studies have found that Nobel Prize-winning scientists are about 25 times more likely to sing, dance or act than the average scientist.

They are 17 times more likely to create visual art.

They are 12 times more likely to write poetry.

They are 4 times more likely to be a musician."

There are many theories why the creative arts allow us to be more successful at whatever it is we are doing. My favorite is the cross pollination theory which says that the ideas in one field can lead to inspiration and innovations in other areas.

When we are hyper diligent about our time and eliminate the shoulds, we have the opportunity to do more of things that bring us joy. And as a wonderful bonus, it actually makes us better at everything else.

What should I do?

Nothing.

Do nothing.

Life is too short for shoulds.

Time is way more valuable than a should.

Check in tomorrow if it becomes a must or a want.

If it never moves past a should, refuse to take the bait.