Why is it so hard to focus: What can we do to be in the moment?
They asked a sage, "How do you manage to remain so calm, can you please tell us, what is the secret of this work?" The wise replied, “When I am chatting with someone, I only listen to him and talk to him, I eat while I eat, I walk while I walk.” The audience got impatient. Bilge repeated: “I listen to someone while chatting, I eat while I eat, I walk while I walk.” And on top of that, he added: “When you talk to someone, you think about what to say or something else, you watch TV while you eat, talk on the phone while walking, think about other things while doing a job.”
Do you remember the last time you really focused on whatever job you were doing? I don't know where I read this story and then I couldn't find it on the internet, so I tried to pass it on as best I can remember. Of course, I did not neglect to adapt it to the present day. The message trying to convey is very clear. Being able to focus is perhaps one of the most difficult skills to maintain today.
I realized the other day that I couldn't watch an 8-minute video without interruption. It caught my eye, I gathered around, looked at other videos below the video, texted my friend, ordered food etc. I don't think I need to mention how my mind jumped from one subject to another during this process and I thought about many more things. Was it really so hard to devote only 8 minutes and all my attention to this video? Just watching a movie while watching a movie, just listening and staying on topic while having a conversation… These seem like luxury. No wonder we couldn't stay calm. We need to train our minds in this direction so that we can only focus on what we are doing at that moment. The only way to improve is to be willing and practice.
Whatever work you decide to focus on, can you put aside everything else at that moment? You will realize that it is not easy at all when you bring such a focusing experience to life. Yes, putting the phone on silent and moving to a quiet corner can work. By doing this, however, you are only removing external distractions. Our minds and thoughts are with us all the time and it is not possible to leave them aside.
It is a fact that meditating by focusing on the breath is very effective at letting our thoughts come and go. Besides, one of the ways that works for me is to have paper and pen with me. When I think of another task that I want to do, I take notes and embody it. In this way, I feel that I have freed my mind from the responsibility of constantly reminding me against the risk of forgetting. Because you really want to focus on what you're doing, you may need to remind yourself, "I'm doing this right now," when thoughts or urges come. The more successful you are in turning your attention to the work you are doing, the more you will see that your focus time improves over time.
