intentional focus is a way of life

How you do anything is how you do everything. — unknown but popular saying

We are who we are both at work and out of work. If our identity = repeated being, then what we do out of work influences us at work. If we are mindless at home, why would we be mindful at work (or vice versa ¹ )? Likewise, if we spend 40+ hours a week at work, then our way of being in everyday life will be deeply influenced by how we are at work.

Intentional focus is not something saved up for big deadlines. It is practiced daily, both at home and at work. Intentional attention is a way of life. By repeatedly choosing what we dedicate our focus to, we are reinforcing our ability to think deeply and enter into flow states. The things we focus on will vary over the years, but the practice of focused attention will be necessary for anything we set out to do that is worthwhile.

Before the Industrial Revolution, work and life were not two separate things. There was no such thing as work-life balance ² . People worked and lived all throughout the day. Farm life may have been more conducive to this. The dreaded 9-to-5 schedule has drawn a line in the sand, with very little flexibility. The way this has shaken out for most people is that they focus at work and then 'veg out' when they get home. It makes sense. Everyone is exhausted. There is little gas left in the tank by the time we all get home. We have to eat. Do laundry. Walk the dog. Adult stuff. Exercise ideally. Then with kids in the picture, I imagine the list quadruples. Although difficult, we must find time for being intentionally focused in our life at home as well. Learning a new skill. Shooting hoops. Skateboarding. Doing pottery. Reading deeply. Playing the piano. Any activity where you are totally immersed. You may have no energy when you begin your activity, but by the end you may have gained some energy back. Doing things we love energizes us. Therefore, we must start even when we may not feel like it. A few minutes in, we will have forgotten that we felt tired.

As long as we are intentional with how we spend our time, then it is time well spent.

[1] Check out the the TV show Severance for a scary work/life split.

[2] The phrase work-life balance did not get coined until 1986.

Influenced by:

• Stolen Focus
• The Shallows
• Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
• Deep Work
• Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance