If this is hard for you, give yourself a break. You live in a world that makes it quite difficult to focus! With so many points of stimulus, it’s no wonder you’re scattered. Between all our devices, responsibilities, relationships… it’s a lot to keep juggling. It might feel impossible to focus on things one at a time.

In a society that’s so demanding and insistent on constant multitasking, learning to focus your energy is an invaluable skill. You can’t do anything well when your attention is pulled ten different ways at once. At first it feels like you won’t get anything accomplished if you do one thing at a time, but that couldn’t be more false. When you are completely present and tuned into what you’re doing in that moment, you are infinitely more efficient.

It’s an illusion to believe that you’re getting more done when you’re trying to do everything at the same time. This actually takes longer, and you aren’t present to any of it. When you are giving everything a fraction of your attention, the quality suffers. So, you’re wasting time, and not producing your best effort. What’s so great about that?

Start to pay attention to all the ways you distract yourself from being completely focused on what you’re doing. Do you feel you have to watch television while you eat in order not to be bored? What if you instead practiced mindful eating? Are you even able to brush your teeth without some other kind of stimulus? Again, you’re a product of the world you live in, a world that delivers you relentless, unending content. Be kind to yourself if the process of finding total focus feels frustrating. It’s not a skill you ever had to develop.

Start working on this, little by little. Try to keep your phone away from you when you’re focusing on something. Devote all your attention to that task. Be there, with yourself, with whatever it may be. It will be hard as hell when you start, but it’s always tough to retrain old habits. Don’t get discouraged! Try little tasks first and work your way up to bigger ones. When you notice how much richer and more vibrant your life feels, use that momentum to keep going.

You’ve got this. Mindful focus will change your life! Sending love.