Sometimes A Time Out Is Helpful

An interesting aspect of being on the right track is being sort of stuck. There are so many things that one can do within the framework of his current aim(s) that he can lose his ability to imagine other things that may be more desirable. Then there is the possibility of being distracted by other things and not pursuing aim. This would indicate that aim is not sufficiently well defined or envisioned and, therefore, easily distracted.

And yet there is another background sentiment in play, it is satiation. When one is sated at the moment with working on aim and not all that interested in pursuing more along the same lines, he begins to look around for other things to which to attend. This is sort of where I am at the moment, and I do mean moment because in a short time I will once again be working on aim due to the fact that I am aware of this distracted mode.

The distracted mode is what creeps in and displaces aim and it can take hold to the point that aim is sidetracked for an indefinite period of time. This sort of happened on Sunday when I began looking at the week ahead; it was prevented, however, because I have this outline of endeavors that reminds me of what I am trying to accomplish for the year both in terms of discrete accomplishments and in continuous activity. So, the distraction from aim was short lived and I have an aim for Rotary-After-Presidency that will not only give me what I am seeking in terms of Rotary but also a return trip ticket to Chantilly.

It is raining this morning and whenever it does so it causes an interruption in activity. My vantage points are outside the walls of the house, even when I don’t go there so when I can’t go there I tend to think in terms of being at a loss for s.t. to do. So it can be seen that distraction from aim has more than one source, more than one cause. Refocusing on aim is a good thing and possible because I have task lists that do just this very thing.

Taking advantage of interruptions such as rain can be productive. I observed previously that there are desirable things that are often forgotten. It is during this time of rain, or waiting for this or that, that one can revisit his reminder stacks and remind himself. This assures that one doesn’t get so caught up in working towards an interim aim that he loses sight of one that is important but not currently receiving attention. This would say that the being is distracted by the current task list and not watching where he’s going.

One morning on the way to work I looked down to adjust the headlights; while so distracted I rammed into the car in front of me and caused a lot of damage. It is a classical example of distraction. The same thing can happen when one is so focused on an aim related task that he lets an opportunity for progress on a different, more important aim, slip past with bad consequences as a result, or at minimum missing an opportunity.

In riding, people refer to “soft eyes” which is a way of saying staying in tune with what you are doing at hand but at the same time paying attention through peripheral vision to what is going on around you. This avoids collisions and other surprises. In daily pursuits one must also have soft eyes in order to take advantage of opportunities. Missed opportunities are just that, missed and perhaps never to reappear. As I sit here and write these words I may be missing opportunities; as I reflect here at home—same, as I get into the car and go somewhere—same. Any time one is engaged in an activity that requires concentrated effort he may be missing another opportunity.

So today I am going to spend some time on already defined tasks but also take some time to go through drawers, stacks, books, and notes in order to dig out some truffles of forgotten dreams. There is no telling what I will find because at the moment my mind is vacant of any such things. The time will pass, I may or may not be successful in finding anything. This will disappoint me but at the same time, because I am prescribing this effort it will not be considered as wasted. Just like watching the “As You Like It” video yesterday could have been considered a colossal waste of time but wasn’t because I finally know the story and the characters, one of whom I will be playing.

(I just erased 355 words of anti-cell phone diatribe and now I’m at a loss for words to continue this entry. I will, however, mush on.)

There are two ways of handling the things of which one is reminded and it all depends on the significance of the item. If it is small and lesser, one can handle it immediately. This is exemplified by ordering s.t. from EBay or another on-line store. You think about it, sign on and do it if you can. There are many such and my rule of thumb is if it takes 10 minutes or less, go ahead and take care of it now. “Doing it now, I am determined.” But there are other things that are much more involved and require time and coordination with others. It is these that one has to keep in mind, enter as part of his planning strategy, make a part of an endeavor without inventing new.

It is important, I think, to keep the list of goals set at the beginning of the annual planning period. They may be replaced by others, they may be accomplished early and no longer be relevant but they should be listed just the same. It would have been easy to abandon the Chantilly visit but now it is an integral part of two endeavors.