Train myself to be highly focused in life

On this Independence Day, I vow to achieve the American Dream: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - free my life to do what my passions and my values lead me to do.

1. I want to be really really good at the something. (You know the list)
2. I want to build something.
3. I want a top-down design of my life, not just choosing as I go.
4. I want to arrange my time by projects, not just clocking in my days on a rat race.

“I consider that a man’s brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.” - Sherlock Holmes

I have come to realize that in the past I have spent way too much time consuming useless information: internet articles, junk emails, etc. I was like a dog, barking at everything that goes by. I know much better now! Before clicking on a link with catchy title, I started to ask myself: do I really need to know this? What is really in it for me? It is really easy when it becomes a habit. As a result my mind is much more clear and focused now.

A person’s time, energy and brain power is like person’s money: if one doesn’t have a grander plan in life to utilize his/her wealth, or doesn’t believe that he/she will ever have enough wealth to achieve any thing grand, he/she will just spend money on trivial pursuits that will never amount to anything. Same thing to how one spends her life: you can’t possibly keep focus if you don’t really have a grand purpose in life to focus on.

No exception.

Building up the momentum.

Eliminate all things that are not important in life. Harness all the resource to achieve what I consider most important.

Consciously aware of the energy drains: channel my energy and time toward achieving important things in life. Stop wasting these valuable resources on negative thoughts, worries and fears, mindless internet surfing, etc.

Practice insight meditation every day, incorporate it into my daily activities.