Focus, will you?

Time is valuable but focus is even more rare. There are 24 hours in a day but not 24 hours of focus a day.

I don’t consider myself a very focused one. Just a couple of years back I was receiving “focus!” lectures by almost everyone around. I used to jump from one idea to another. For me every idea was worthy and inter-connected. I had energy for all of them.

Even in school my train of thoughts would diverge off into the woods and hardly anyone could catch-up. One moment I’d be onto film-making, the other moment all gaga about Buddhist scriptures and then talking about teen troubles. Rare was someone who could follow the connections in there.

The classic idea of focus was too boring (it still is). I usually have too much energy, and slowing down isn’t an option - it isn’t fun.

Years past, I get question about focus. Especially from school students. At the heart of it the question isn’t “How do I focus?”. The question is, “I can relate to you, tell me what you did about the ‘focus!’ thing they talk about?”

I usually tell them this:

Focus is thought about in a very wrong way.

1. Focus is not about subject at hand. Focus is about mood - about emotions. If you can conjure and maintain your mood - things will flow.

2. Don’t try to focus on things that don’t interest you. It’s unnatural. Seriously, just give it up. Focus is natural with things of interest. That means something.

I know how much work I get done with ease and brilliance when I am in good mood. The focus happens and things shine apart. But when my mood is off, I can’t even talk.

So whenever I am in not so good mood - I make no efforts to change the mood. Just release of all efforts to ease out. And focus is back in no time.

I find that jack of all trades, master of… thing bull-crap. Everyone I know is multi-talented, multi-faceted. And why not? Life isn’t about eating pizza everyday - so why a profession? Being an entrepreneur, I know how every random interest, hobby or passion plays an important part.

I can be wrong; I usually am. But one thing I know for sure. Focus as it is sold - focus on one thing at a time is a sad boring business. Creativity flows in all direction, and all things flowing go down-hill. Naturally. Trying to take them uphill is waste of time.

It takes tributaries to build a river, however focused it might seem. Only thing certain is the general direction. That’s focus.

You are reading a post that I wrote a long time back—at least 12 years ago. Take it with a bag of salt.