Flow and self-discovery: Moving forward with new Focus

By Theresa Birmingham

Finding focus and chasing after your best life

In truth, finding focus is an effort, but it is an effort worth undertaking. Whether you’re tired of the same-old, addicted to social media, need a recharge with friends, or are struggling with financial focus, it’s important to understand that there are resources and help available.

You want the best life you can have. For yourself. For your loved ones. Even for your clients and associates. But much of the business in today’s world is space-filler that we not only don’t need, but that inhibits our growth and ultimately, our ability in finding focus.

Self-awareness in finding focus

Yes, greater focus does equal being more self-aware. This month, we discussed how practicing self-aware spending can help you focus on those areas of your budget that need help. And it’s not just in finances where practicing self-awareness can help in finding focus.

An overall self-awareness is also important. In the article, Using your Soft Eyes: Envision the big picture and find your center, we’re shown that a great deal of internal visualization and awareness are needed to understand the big picture. Too often, we get bogged down by extraneous details. However, if we allow ourselves to take time and focus inward, we can better understand the overall purpose of a given event. We may also be able to de-stress by using that self-awareness, and in effect, engage in taking a step back. That step back can lead to refocusing.

The great multitasking debate

Multitasking is a rather hot topic for many now. Is it healthy? Unhealthy? Perhaps, the argument is more about semantics and our inability to truly grasp the definition of multitasking. At least, this is what the article, Consciously shifting your focus: Successful multitasking, suggests. In this article, Marla Funez advises that multitasking is “about getting the most done efficiently and in the least amount of time.” In other words, you are self-aware in each task. But beyond that, you work towards productivity and efficiency, rather than frying your brain as many who multitask in the traditional sense inevitably end up doing.

Conversely, the article, Focus not Multitasking: the key to joyful productivity, suggests that breaking things down into smaller tasks is more efficient than layering smaller tasks on top of each other.

Both writers offer great insight into the debate of multitasking. But essentially, at the heart of both pieces, we see the fight for productivity, creativity in finishing multiple projects, and understanding one’s own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to completing tasks.

Focus on Passion

This coming month, May, we head into our discussion on Passion. And it’s incredibly fitting that Focus came before. First, because gaining focus helps us be more in tune with our inner voice, which can help us discover our passion. Second, finding focus allows us to understand our strengths and weaknesses in regards to how we will fulfill our soul’s purpose. And lastly, because when it comes to passion, we want to make sure that we don’t burn ourselves out. That means, we need to come back to focus every once in a while. We need to reassess. Recoup. Rediscover. And breathe into ourselves a new focus in order for that fire in our belly to manifest into something beautiful and useful.