only if it’s my idea

Posted on January 13, 2009 | 7 Comments

I’m trying to learn to focus. It’s one of my words for the year.

Part of focusing is getting rid of distractions. I know this.  Even as I have multiple windows open, I know that I could close some. Even as I check email (again), as I take a moment with twitter, I know that these are, at the time, distractions.

Yesterday afternoon as I was driving home I thought, “What if I turn off the computer for the evening and don’t have that distraction?” It was a noble idea.

I got home, I went downstairs to check on what had come on our home email, and discovered that our Internet connection wasn’t working. I tried several things. I went back several times to find out if it had cleared. I called customer service to find out what the problem was. I waited. I finally found out that it was a problem in several places in Fort Wayne. I started getting twitchy about not being able to check on a couple things.

I didn’t remember my idea of turning off the computer for the evening until this morning.

I think I understand why I need to work on focus. It’s pretty much not a problem with what’s on the outside of my head.

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7 responses to “only if it’s my idea”

  1. ktennant | January 13, 2009 at 12:57 pm |

    I can SO relate to this — not just to the ways email and Twitter can repeatedly distract me throughout the day, but also to my grand ideas about new regimes and structures to get myself back on track, and then the ridiculous, unexpected things that can derail those best intentions.

    Thanks for making me stop kicking myself long enough to laugh at myself.

  2. Jon Swanson | January 13, 2009 at 12:59 pm |

    always glad to have people join me in that laughter. 🙂

  3. Philip | January 13, 2009 at 2:21 pm |

    that is a great story.

  4. Wesley | January 13, 2009 at 4:27 pm |

    You shouldn’t have even attempted to check your email. Following your plan you would never have even known that the Internet wasn’t working.

  5. Jon Swanson | January 13, 2009 at 4:42 pm |

    wesley
    welcome to my short memory. But i’m learning

  6. Chris Marsden | January 14, 2009 at 1:31 pm |

    “I just have to check one thing.”

    Famous last words of countless web addicts before being sucked in for another endless session of surfing.

  7. Jon Swanson | January 14, 2009 at 1:36 pm |

    wait. what are you calling me?