FINDING WHAT REALLY MATTERS - THE ART OF FOCUS
Do you ever feel like you're wasting time doing other things - not so important things - while all the plans you want to do and haven't completed are floating around in the back rooms of your mind?
Considering how precious energy and time are, and that every second that passes by will never come back, wouldn't you want to do something about the wasted moments right away?
The things in life that make us truly happy and fulfilled in our existence on earth are not really lists. When you think about it succinctly and find what is really important, you will feel very relaxed.
It's almost a self-discovery. Because when you find out what is important to you, you will also realize dozens of things that are not important.
IT'S GREAT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, BUT THE MAIN THING IS TO KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T WANT.
Because the action that shapes our life and makes it the most meaningful, the most appropriate to our own path - is to say no to what we don't want.
When you eliminate what you don't want and what is not that important, your mind will become clearer. Realizing that you don't really want them that much will allow you to focus only on what you really want to do, leaving no room for any negative emotions. So instead of feeling like there are hundreds of things to do every day, you will spend time and energy on the really important ones.
The question you need to ask yourself to discover this:
What is really important?
That's what really matters:
Things that are meaningful to you and that fulfill your being on earth - your soul - when you do them regularly.
Things that benefit your life both in the short term and in the long term when you invest your time and energy.
They are the things that make you happy, that make you more "in the moment", that make you feel more "connected".
You can try asking yourself what these things are and writing down the answers. I think you will get better and more accurate answers this way. Once you have basically listed the things that are really important to you, you can categorize them. This way you will be able to identify more things more clearly and simplified. For example, "exercising and eating well" can be put into one category. "Taking care of my body: regular exercise and good nutrition."
Once you have found and listed the things that are really important, now think about what you do in an ordinary day and write them down. Perhaps you will be surprised to realize that you don't do any of the really important things on a regular basis. But do you really want to do these not-so-important things? Are they worth your time and energy? What would change in your life if you spent your time and energy on the things that really matter?
Now that everything is a little clearer, try limiting the list of REALLY IMPORTANT to a maximum of 5. It would even be great to reduce it to 3 if you can. As I mentioned before, you can include more things by categorizing similar ones. Put this list in a place where you can see it all the time - like writing it down on a piece of paper and hanging it somewhere, or pinning it somewhere on your phone where you can look at it every day.
Just making this list provides incredible peace of mind and inner satisfaction. Because now you know what you want to do and what you don't want to do, what is very meaningful to you, what is a waste of time and energy.
You can make a decision and focus on the things on your list that are REALLY IMPORTANT as a priority EVERY DAY from now on. Of course, putting this into practice may not be as easy as making a decision. Because there are so many mental and visual stimuli around us. These stimuli sometimes distract us from what we want to do without realizing it. According to a study I read, after receiving a notification on our phone while we are working on a task, it takes us 23 minutes on average to pick up the phone and return to the task we are focused on. Pretty interesting, isn't it?
But is it really possible to get away from these stimuli that invade us every day? Definitely yes. First of all, it is necessary to question whether you really want to be exposed to them. Understanding this takes you to a different level of awareness.
What could these be:
Things that prevent you from focusing and cause your mind to constantly drift elsewhere.
Things that reduce your experience of being in the moment.
Things that don't do you any good if you take your time and pay attention to them.
Things that don't actually make you happy - or vice versa, things that make you unhappy (Yes, we do these things too)
Things that prevent you from doing what you really want to do.
Having said that, if you have decided that you really don't want to, take action now - don't wait. Because the only reality is now. If you feel that you don't need notifications from social media and knowing what people there are doing every day doesn't change anything in your life, just turn them off. If your list of what's really important doesn't include sitting down every day to catch up on the latest TV series or watching TV, unsubscribe. If ad notifications from banks or shopping websites do nothing but distract you and make you buy things you don't really need, turn them off right now.
ONLY MAKE ROOM IN YOUR LIFE FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE TRULY IMPORTANT. THIS IS PEACE.
Not just on our phones, of course. Our work environment, the people around us—energies can also distract us. We need to be smart about choosing these. Keeping your work area, the areas where you spend most of your day, and your bedroom more organized can keep you away from feeling “messy.” While doing these, you can choose the items that are truly important and necessary, that give you good energy, just like you prepared your list, and you can give away and reduce the items that cause clutter. Simplifying your space will also have positive effects, just like relaxing your mind.
Finally, pay attention to the energies of the people around you. "How do I feel around this person?", "Why do I feel this way around this person?" Asking these questions and getting answers can also help you discover a lot about yourself.
Surrounding yourself with people who uplift you and make you feel better—more real—around them can really make a difference in your life.
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