learn to concentrate on one thing at a time

I’m enjoying being in a new city, but i think its time to shamelessly embrace the fact that its the weekend, there is nothing i can do about paperwork or apartment hunting and tomorow is a day of ‘tou-rest’.

I WILL NOT make a to-do list, i will not look for key places to buy tools/materials or strategize.
I will pick up a tourist guide and do whatever it tells me to that i havent already tried… its supposed to be beautiful out, i need to focus!

like right now, when i’m trying to read/the t.v.’s on/i should be sewing/did i have breakfast yet?
Its time to get out THE HIPSTER PDA

Ah.
The simplicity is astounding and the best part is that despite my packrat tenencies i feel no need to KEEP any of the pages once i’ve gone through the day.

Its a sublime system that i absolutely reccomend to anyone who has a tendency to become overwhelmed by the various key goals of his/her day.

Okay.
I also reccomend to myself that i go and make today’s list so that i can stop feeling like i’m wasting my time.
:)

Once i have it all down, i seem to be able to stop worrying about ‘what else’ and just do one thing at a time.

Staying focussed, I have come to learn is my number one problem. It ranks it the same league as being patient. How to resolve this is my next step..if I can concentrate long enough.

What I have NOT been able to do lately is to stay focused.
I had an interesting discussion last night with a friend and it lead me to the realization that the pattern of switching tasks often is something that i have inherited from my job.
Luckily i will be leaving that job soon, but in the meantime, i am tired of feeling ‘panic-y’ and ‘anxious’ and ‘scattered’ all the time. I’m the kind of person who moves through the world oblivious to immediate realities because i’m often thinking on two tracks. I get around on auto pilot and think myself to distraction.

Key loser
Push door puller
muffin burner

I have a new trick to help stay focused and retrain my brain to focus more clearly on the present.

Its called ‘NOTEPAD’

It goes like this:

-Do stuff (a task)
-When you inevitably get distracted, stop yourself
-Don’t change course, just write down the thought that came to mind on a NOTEPAD and let the idea drift away
-When you’ve completed the task at hand look to NOTEPAD to find your next task
-Now begin resolving the most important task first.
-Repeat as symptoms of distraction arise

I’m seriously considering the hipster pda as my format for NOTEPAD.
I especially like that the binder clip that holds the assembly together will also be helpful in clipping the thing to my pocket so that it doesn’t slide out when i’m riding my bicycle.
Oh, how hipster i have become.

Anyhoo, i feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Its a difficult job, but someone has to reprogram me, and it might as well be me.

Soon, i’ll be in school again, and the last thing i want to do is to be half-assed and/or clumsy because i’m not paying attention and that is what happens and its dangerous.

we have some deeper reason to keep concentration on one thing,not just learn!