ZeroGrav – Q3 2020 – The Art and Magic of Focus

I was originally thinking of titling this article The Art of Focus, and after giving some more thought believed The Magic of Focus felt more accurate.  Then I decided hey there are both scientific and ‘magic’ aspects which pertain to ‘Focus’, so let’s call it both.  But wait, I was never considering to title this post The Science and Magic of Focus, I called it The Art and Magic of Focus.  Why?  Because I don’t want to think about science any more than I have to, art and thoughts of magic are much more appealing, and why do universities have colleges of ‘Arts & Science’ when the two are such disparate things?

Well, if that intro through you for a loop, you’re probably not alone.  Now I will tell you why there is both art and magic to ‘Focus’.

When I was young I once heard the Japanese culture had a unique and strong sense of focus, and this is why such a small country was so efficient and was able to accomplish so many great things.  The idea was later reinforced in high school when I realized that most everyone was driving Japanese brand vehicles – Hondas, Toyotas, Nissan, Mazda, etc.  And more so in college, where I began to learn of some of the actual business operations case studies, and how Japan was able to retain a competitive edge even when up against giants like the US.  So, this idea of ‘focus’ goes back a long way with me, although probably only the past 5 or 10 years where I’ve really started to dive deeper into what Focus truly is.

On an intro level, focus is paying attention.  Not driving off the road.  Responding when someone asks a question.  Being able to function.  You know, the basics.

Then this thing called responsibility happens, where you have to do all the basics, while making sure to pay the bills, show up for work, take care of your family, maintain your home, pursue hobbies and interests, learn new things, find time to relax, and on and on.  In other words, things quickly get more complex and there are more demands for your time.

Now, that’s not such a big deal, probably not news to anyone reading this.

Where I think things have gone askew however are with the advent of new technology over the past 10-20 years, and its impact on individuals’ level of focus.  Not driving off the road suddenly became a lot more challenging (don’t text and drive), responding when someone asks a question doesn’t actually ever happen if the question never gets asked (everyone is staring at their phones), and being ‘able to function’ is no longer a given.  What do I mean by that?  Sure people are feeling super-productive, as evidenced by the mobile phone that’s always on, the constant notifications and e-mails popping up, the reinforcing media bombardments that tells you to keep moving (Dunkin’ – ‘America Runs on Dunkin’, Home Depot – ‘How Doers Get More Done’), the feeling of always needing to be doing something.  I would question though, does anyone actually remember what it was like to ‘function’ before mobile phones and high-speed cable internet?  (Queue dial-up 14.4 modem sound, and blurry TV).  What did you do all day and how do those activities compare to what you do today?  To be honest I think society is forgetting those more simple times.

On the flip side of the coin, I also think that individuals’ level of focus has increased significantly over the same time period.  Multi-tasking, as introduced by Microsoft Windows years ago (find the ‘minimize’ button!) told us all that we could perform multiple personal computer / business tasks at once.  Simply minimize the lower priority window, and maximize the other.  After multi-tasking was successfully integrated into home and business desktops, it quickly became the new norm.  At some offices today you’ll see individuals with three monitors, all running different programs, while said employees are on their mobiles and potentially even participating in remote meetings.  It is perfectly typical to be in a Zoom call on your left monitor, while working through your e-mails on your right monitor, while keeping an eye on notifications on your mobile phone.  In my opinion this level of multi-tasking has pushed the collective human brain and brought it to new levels of productivity.  More tools, more power, more demands, more results, means more brain development.  I am sure there is some study somewhere proving that humans have increased their intelligence over time as a direct result of technology.

The above paragraph is probably what I am referring to as the ‘Art’ of focus.  We are all becoming jugglers, and good ones at that.  As an example, we have been able to remove our 100% focus on one item (i.e. 100% focus Attending a conference call), and split that focus amongst three unique items (80% focus attending the conference call, 15% focus drafting an email, 15% keeping an eye on mobile phone notifications).  For a total of 110%??  Yes, I would even argue that technology has increased individuals’ capacity to focus to greater heights.

What I am concerned about and what I will call the ‘Magic’ of focus, is the quality, the depth of experience, the fine detail.  I truly believe in quality over quantity in everything we do.  100% focus attending a conference call is not only going to yield higher quality results than being distracted by a side email or mobile notification, however it leads to more meaningful and personal revelations.  Maybe let me jump off the whole work/office type examples and put in a couple other different contexts.  Michael Jordan – Greatest basketball player of all time.  Anyone who knows anything about Michael knows his drive for perfection, to excel, and to win.  To do this, Michael was not simply 100% focused, I would quadruple that focus to insane laser-like triple platinum super enhanced levels of top-secret doubled down 200% all-in focus.  When MJ was putting up a game winning three, you know the only thing he was thinking about was hitting that shot.  Not the thousands of people in the crowd, not the tens of thousands watching on TV, not what he did yesterday or what he has to do tomorrow, and definitely nowhere near the distraction of a mobile phone,  the only thing MJ cared about was the sound of the ‘swish’ when that shot hit nothing but net.  And that is the magic, it is created before your eyes and ears when you know so strongly what you want and desire and need, you will pull along the cosmos themselves to make it happen.

(Sneak Peek – MJ will be featured in a future ‘Linked Heroes’ blog post.  :] ).

Other examples of focus are all around us in the natural world.  Think about a forest for instance, you might have a variety of large cats, birds, deer, bears, foxes, and so on.  And if you’ve ever seen a National Geographic or other episode where a big cat is on a hunt, you know it is over even before it begins (spoiler alert – the big cat almost always wins).  Take the instinct of living in the wild and multiply that by a level of hunger, and that almost creates a brand new definition of focus.  What I am trying to say here is that natural environments enhance focus.  It’s when humans start tossing in technology and productivity demands and the fast-pace of modern life that the focus becomes a bit blurry.  Even the things we were originally focused on have begun to change.  Can society even remember?  Is it about grabbing that Dunkins and completing that work assignment and getting paid and getting the next model phone?  Or does the original focus go way back, before all these distractions?  I think it is healthy to question technology…

While I do concede it is important to have the ability to embrace new technology and that there is tangible benefit from the ‘Art’ of focus, I feel that it is greatly more important to first completely forget technology and all that it brings.  Empty all those thoughts and remember the ‘Magic’ of focus.  Be in the moment.  Think about what you want to accomplish and pursue that relentlessly.  By doing so and being mindful that others have their own goals and dreams, I think we increase all of our collective chances for harmony and a sustainable future.

So I started off early in this post with some remarks on Japanese culture.  While writing this I decided to briefly research it online, and to my pleasant surprise came across ‘Zanshin’.  It is defined as a state of awareness, or relaxed alertness.  Some other keywords used to describe it are the art of attention and focus, vigilance, physical readiness, and calm mind.  And there is a story about a legendary archer who best exemplified Zanshin.  … dot dot dot… dot dot dot… AWESOME!!  If this isn’t serendipity I don’t know what is.  Considering the past several months I have been watching Arrow (DC comics series… terrible acting however amazing characters with some very deep motives), Zanshin is definitely right up my alley.  Let the real study begin…

I am feeling like I can accomplish anything I put my mind to, after writing this.  How about you after reading this??  Leave a comment and let me know, just don’t text me.  HAHAH kidding.

peace out,

zer0 graV