Life pulls us in many different directions every day. And we must often tackle multiple fronts simultaneously. But it’s still good practice to be fully present wherever we are and to not have our attention divided into multiple areas.
To be sure, with so much to get done we regularly try to multitask and get more than one thing done at the same time. And this can have its place when we’re intentional in the setup. But all too often we don’t get anything done well when we spread ourselves thin trying to do it all.
For instance, it’s hard to be effective at work whenever we still have to deal with issues on the home front. And we’re not fully present with our family when we’re still thinking about issues at work. Ideally, when it’s time to work we can focus on work, and when it’s time to be at home we can be all there as well.
This can also play out in the quality time we spend with our wife. There are bills, logistics, and just the business of life that we need to talk about and sort through. And we also need time just to hang out and enjoy each other’s company. It’s hard to enjoy our time together when there’s also important matters to discuss. And it’s difficult to move important conversations forward when we just want to have fun together. Here again it’s best to focus on one at a time and be fully present with whatever we’re engaged in.
Likewise, time with our friends, kids, and even ourselves would all benefit the more we’re able to give our undivided attention to that moment.
Our fragmented attention leads to increasing frustration and feelings of defeat.
In the end, wherever you are, be all there. This allows you to be more effective and find greater fulfillment in each moment.
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
