The Power to Focus

I've had to learn the hard way that in order to learn, you must have a focus. It's hard, indeed, to look upon yourself after a time and not notice any change. I guess that's why they call it the hard way, because it hurts. It's sort of like pushing against a wall; when you realize you are not moving, your hands are all cut and you're tired. Since I also tend to be hard on myself, I'm reminded of a quote: "foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" ~ Emerson. Oh dear, I think to myself. I am consistently foolish. I tend repeat shut down episodes very often. I guess that in their recurrence, I prove to be foolishly consistent. But I don't want to be little minded (ooh, what an ugly term).

First off, I started this entry as if I had found the answer, as if I had learned. The truth in the matter is not that I have learned, but I have predicted. I have conjectured. I have done so because I don't feel satisfied with my efforts in life, and my endurance has always been a concern. So, I did a little brain networking analysis; I just thought about the problem and tried to find associated concepts and ideas. Here's what I came up with. To have a focus you need a motivation. These two go hand in hand, like the help of a father to a son. Also, I think you have to make "focus" less ambiguous. For example, losing weight or becoming a better person can be foci. But, better would be something more specific. Run every morning and don't eat fast food; write daily reflections of 200 - 500 words and respond to those frequently. Both of these foci probably have a better shot at being accomplished than their similar, but more broad foci.

Specificity is the key to success. Here's a problem: once you get really specific, it's almost like making a commitment. Since I am a commitment-phobe, this becomes problematic.

Side note: A motivation should be something you want, not something you should want.