Focus - Leo Babauta [39]
Of course, there are also naptimes. If your baby is so young that you're not getting very much sleep, you'll probably want to rest when your baby rests. But otherwise, take advantage of naptimes and get some "you" stuff done. Take advantage of the quiet times, too, in the early morning before your child is awake, and at night when the child has gone to sleep.
Another solution is to get help: a professional babysitter, daycare for half a day, one of your parents who might be retired, a neice or nephew who is trustworthy and has a couple hours after school. While some of these solutions will cost some money, it might be worth the expense. You might also find another parent who needs help, and swap babysitting.
on technology
Parents who are used to being connected in some ways might be better off by learning to embrace disconnection.
Imagine you're taking a walk in the park with your child... it's a lovely day, and it's the perfect quiet moment between you and your young one. Then your phone beeps, and you know you have a new email. Well, you've been waiting for something from the boss or client, so you have the urge to check. It's just going to take a few seconds -- no problem right?
Well, it's a problem. This small distraction takes you from the moment with your child, and back to the world of work. It ruins it, even if only slightly. It also teaches your child that this email is more important than she is -- you can't make the effort to be totally present with your child, because of important work emails. That's not the best message to send.
I don't mean to be preachy -- I'm guilty of these distractions from time to time too. But it's something we should become aware of and if possible, take measures against. Turn off the phone, shut off notifications, and be present.
When you're at home, you can be on the computer all the time, while your child is calling for attention. Turn the computer off for stretches of time, and give your undivided attention to your child. When it's time to work, or create, find a way to do so without the interruptions of children, and focus. But the rest of the time, shut off the computer.
2: the problem of others
In a perfect world, you could learn to beat the urges that defeat you and create an environment of focus... and just focus. But we live and work in a world with other people, and that can make finding focus difficult.
Often, our lives aren't completely under our control. Sometimes, others can stand in our way, or just make things tough. Often other people can make a big impact on our ability to simplify and create. Let's take a look at some of those types of situations, and some solutions that can help.
service industries
If you work in a service industry, finding focus by cutting out all distractions might seem impossible. After all, you have to respond to customers pretty much immediately, and ignoring them in person or not responding to their calls or emails isn't really an option. Someone in the service industry must be on their toes, and work non-stop, often multitasking the whole time.
Sure, but there are some choices:
While you're serving customers, do only that. Don't also deal with other problems, if possible, or work on other tasks. Be in the moment as much as possible, dealing with each customer while fully present. You'll do a better job for the customer and connect much more deeply on a human level. It's hard to do well on a customer call if you're also dealing with emails, or serve a customer in person well if you're also looking at your iPhone.
Try to serve one customer at a time. This isn't always possible either, but when you can do it, it's much better -- for the customer 120 and for your sanity levels. Deal with one customer's email at a time, one call at a time, one customer in person at a time. When possible.
Find some time on the job for focus. If you have