Focus is a beautiful thing!

The weekly question from The Prosperous Writer last week was about focus. How do you feel when you are focused or when you re-focus?

I love that feeling of focus - whether it is focus on a new goal or a re-focus on something you've lost sight of. I am routinely juggling multiple projects. I have my household-management responsibilities like laundry, shopping, paying bills, tracking expenses, etc. I sub at my son's school which is a job I enjoy but it often crops up at the last minute which can lead to lost focus. I lead a weekly writing club for kids in second through sixth grades. I have my own writing "career" I work on in spurts. I have three blogs. One of those is a book review blog, so I am reading regularly to have material to review. I like to create things with my hand - cards, scrapbook pages, cross stitch, and some failed attempts at knitting.

Most days I am a master juggler. I have a weekly to do list and a semi-regular routine. But when that routine gets rocked, I am a quivering lump of unfocused nerves. I feel overwhelmed and don't know what thread to pick up to start unraveling the mess. For me, this is one of the worst feelings ever. 

But finding a focus - a few goals to guide my priorities, a list, a plan - is like ice cream on a sweltering summer day. That is part of why I love January and a new year. It is an opportunity to start again, set new priorities, think through what is manageable, and make a plan. Focus is a beautiful thing.

And Reality Sets In

As I sat in my living room Friday talking to my husband about my divided focus and my penchant for starting many things and finishing few, I determined that I plan too many things to reasonably complete in the time I give myself. Tomorrow I am blogging about focus, but this weekend was a lesson in focus - in determining my highest priorities and letting go of good but unessential things.


For example, while I would love to learn to knit and crochet (in fact I have needles and yarn for both), they aren't essential. I'm going to pack the supplies away for another season in life. I am still holding out hope to make a quilt this year, but I realize that it may not happen and I am trying to be okay with that. I am going to read and read and read because books are my passion. If I focus my attention on a few key things, I can do them well rather than spread my time out and do everything "fine" or "okay" and nothing "well."



I have been hard on myself about writing and submitting and seeking publication. At the same time I realize that I am still learning. I don't want to walk away from writing, but I need to focus on what I can do right now - finish a two-year writing class this June (investing in my lessons rather than throwing them together), blogging well, and writing about things that inspire me or capture my attention no matter what I end up doing with them. 

I am going to let go of the Comment Challenge I have been doing this month. I have discovered some great blogs that I intend to follow. I have discovered a TON of books I intend to read some day. I plan to keep reading these blogs and commenting on things that speak to me. But I have discovered that I am using a lot of my limited time on that Challenge and I need to let it go.


Don't be surprised if I have to have this learning experience all over again some time soon. I am easily drawn into the next new thing, certain that I can "do it all." But for today, I am inspired by renewed focus and purpose and ready to jump in.