Hey lady, I know you've been feeling a little scattered lately. Your brain seems to be buzzing with a million bumblebees, flitting from one thing to the next faster than a hummingbird on Red Bull. Trust me, I get it!
Focus can be a slippery little fish, and sometimes it feels like we're wrestling an octopus made of distractions. But hey, news flash: you're not alone in this mental circus. Lots of brilliant minds get caught up in the attention-grabbing whirlwind. It's like trying to read a book during a fireworks show – pretty mesmerizing, but not exactly conducive to deep thinking.
Here's the thing, you're awesome, and your mind is a treasure trove of ideas and possibilities. But sometimes, it needs a little taming. Think of it like training a puppy – with lots of love, patience, and positive reinforcement, we can teach our brains to sit, stay, and focus on the task at hand.
Tame the Squirrel! 🐿️
I struggle with this too my friend. So much so my “word” for 2024 is FOCUS! I often describe my attention span as that of a squirrel. Squirrels are notorious for their short attention spans. One minute they're diligently burying an acorn, the next they're chasing a butterfly, then they're scaling a tree to raid a birdfeeder. Sound familiar? When we get easily distracted, our minds flit from one shiny object to the next, never quite settling on anything for long.Can you relate to shiny object syndrome? Just like a squirrel can't resist a glistening nut or a fluttering leaf, we're often lured away from our tasks by anything that catches our eye – a notification on our phone, a funny meme on social media, even the sound of a bird chirping outside. It's like our brains have built-in radar for anything remotely interesting, except for, you know, the actual thing we're supposed to be doing.
👑I am the queen of multitasking (or lack thereof)!
I even had it on my resume as a skill back in the day!
However, just like the squirrel - digging, climbing, and snacking, we may appear to be juggling multiple tasks at once –– but we're really just switching rapidly between them. This constant context switching is exactly what happens when we get distracted. We try to do two (or ten) things at once, but ultimately end up doing nothing well.
So, as I share with you some strategies to tame the squirrel, I am also giving myself my own pep-talk. Let's break this thing down:
Identify the culprits: What are the usual suspects that steal your attention? Is it your phone? Social media? The birds feasting on the feeder outside your window? Once you know your attention’s competitors, you can build a fortress of focus.
Tame the tech: Phones are attention vampires, so put them in time-out when you need to get things done. Try apps that block distracting websites, or even reward yourself with phone time once you finish a task.
Chunk it up: Feeling overwhelmed? Break down big projects into bite-sized pieces. Mini-goals are like stepping stones to success and achieving them gives your brain a little dopamine boost to keep it going.
Befriend the pomodoro: Ever heard of the pomodoro technique? It's a 25-minute work sprint followed by a 5-minute break. Repeat that four times, then take a longer break. It's like giving your brain mini vacations to stay refreshed and ready to tackle the next round.
Are you often interrupted by others? Proclaim a “JAM SESSION” with a sign on your door letting others know you are limiting distractions for a power hour of productivity.
Embrace the wiggle room: Don't beat yourself up if your focus occasionally takes a detour. We all need mental breaks! Just gently guide your attention back to the task at hand, like a sheepdog herding its thoughts.
So, while explaining it is challenging, hopefully, this gives you a glimpse into the ever-changing, attention-grabbing world of someone who easily gets distracted and some tools to focus. Remember, it's not a personal failing, just a quirk of the mind, and there are ways to navigate it!
Let’s do this together! Our focus is just a muscle that needs a little workout. Let’s be patient, be kind to ourselves, and celebrate our victories, big and small. And hey, if you ever need a cheerleader to keep you company on this focus journey, well, you know where to find me! Now let’s get out there and show those distractions who's boss!
Lots of love,
Your (slightly scatterbrained, but always rooting for you) girlfriend Brenda 🥰
All my love,
