Focus on the Flow

I have been talking recently with several friends who worry they are not focused enough. For some people focus is about getting through that to-do list, completing the path from a to b or just doing one thing at a time. But that is not always the case. Some of us focus better when we are flowing well from one activity to the other, integrating rather than isolating. I learned this the hard way, because every time I “focused” I felt thoroughly unhappy and wasn’t very effective, but once I started focusing on the flow, and following my energy, the story flipped!

Don’t get me wrong, focusing on the flow is not an excuse to go incessantly from one thing to another without ever getting to completion. It is about being in the moment. Using your energy in ways that agree with it. Following your own rhythms and insights. You need to learn to plan and stick to your plan in a different way. By giving enough space for life to happen. If you work at home that means enjoying the important interruptions! If you are in a corporate setting it means taking the time to listen to that colleague that wants to run something by you or that person you noticed had something going during the meeting that you would be interested in exploring further. It means letting sparks of creativity happen and get caught on paper, tape or computer for later retrieval.

For me, it means writing when my mind is clear. Usually very early morning or late night in my case, but sometimes in the middle of the workday when I am inspired by a client’s situation or a conversation I engaged in, or an article I read. I make a note that will remind me of what I want to write when it comes up, and then set aside some quality time to get it done later. Or, if it is already written in my mind, I do it right away. Try these steps on for size:

Do plan! Write a daily, weekly, monthly plan with the things you really do NOT want to slip away.  Set goals for yourself and give them ample opportunity to happen.  Get them done or carry them over to the next plan. If you want to get 5 days exercise a week, write that down and every day consider what your best time to do this might be. Check it off your weekly list so that each and every week you have at least 5 check marks on it.  Set aside specific times for things if it works for you, but also sliding times. Understand what works best for you scheduled and what in the checklist.

Savor every moment to get more done. One of the big time-wasters is not being present. Flow is about savoring each and every moment. Don’t allow ANY time for thinking on what you are supposed to be doing. Do what you are doing at the moment. Be with it fully. Engage yourself. Check your plan frequently and choose by thinking:  What now? Treat the plan as a wonderful buffet you can choose from and feeling guilty for not doing something else is NOT on the menu!

Observe your flow. Focus on how well you transition from one thing to the next. Congratulate yourself if you take and interruption as a pause instead of a distraction. Learn to get right back into things you put on pause. It might take some getting used to, but the presence practice will make you better and better at being in the moment. I like to use transitions to “cross-pollinate” my work. What can I bring from this experience on to the next? How am I feeling? What can I choose to do now? Not only will you find your own way, you will come to understand it is ever-changing.

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Try it out and let me know how it goes. And just….flow!

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