Reflection

Our attention is limited by time, the nature of the mind, and by our choice of focus.

The more we focus on one thing, the less likely we are to notice another. Whether it’s doomscrolling, writing a memo, or churning something over in our head, our focus can be both productive and a distraction.

You don’t have to be absent-minded to miss something. It doesn’t mean you’re not smart if you have to re-read something after you catch your mind wandering. We all have limited time, limited capacity, and we need to focus to get things done.

Just remember: while you focus on one thing, you ignore another. So every now and then make sure to take a step back and make sure that whatever it is you’re ignoring, is by your own choice of focus.

It took me a while to trust my gut. After I’d make a choice, there seemed to be something there that would agree or disagree. It’d be wrong to call it a whisper that grew louder. It feels more accurate to call it an ambient sense that, once I paid attention to it, became a trust-worthy hint.

Interestingly, as I trust it more, and as I concurrently learn and develop skills, so too do the hints seem to improve. I also learned I don’t need more information or more hints to do a thing, but I do find that hints stick around if ignore them. If the hints are sticky, that tends to mean I need to take action on them.

Sometimes the hint is that I should call or text someone. Sometimes it’s that I should step away from a reaction. Still other times the hint has a grandiose plan or a minuscule inclination – either way the outcomes are interesting.

If you’re like me – you know hints don’t make things easier. Hints aren’t short-cuts and sometimes they cause introspection that is both necessary and scary.

These days though, I’m glad to get hints either way.