I don’t know about you but, as focused as I can be on something, I can also just as easily be distracted from doing something. I have found that, if I am distracted, as much as I hate to admit it, I have usually allowed the distraction to happen.  Afterward, I am very annoyed with myself.

I know this to be true because I have often been laughed at for how I can be so focused on something that I am totally oblivious to my surroundings or people talking to me. It’s as if I’m inside the computer, surrounded by the world that I’m working on – not the one I’m working in. So, it’s not too terribly surprising that I am highly productive and efficient in accomplishing my task at hand.

On the other hand, on the many, many occasions when I can be easily distracted, it’s usually because I’m not really motivated to do whatever it is I need to do at that time.  I can always find other things that “command” my attention. Those things are just something to hide behind in order to give me plausible deniability as to why I’m not working on the task I’m avoiding.

As I listen to our country debate what needs to happen in order to fix the many ailments our country finds ourselves in, it’s interesting to see who has laser-like focus on the problems and who talks in wide generalities.  Some want to fling money and legislation in weird and wonderful ways without giving much thought as to whether or not it’s really going to solve the more critical problems.  Others from both sides of the political aisle come to the table with well thought out plans and strategies as to how to attack and solve the problems at hand. 

While I may not agree with everything offered by these people, they do command my attention and respect because they have at least thoroughly studied the problem and offers some halfway reasonable solutions.

If I could have the undivided attention of every politician in the U.S. – from city governments to Washington D.C., I would put Keith Richards’ words to work by saying: Dear Politician (both Republican and Democrat): Get back to focusing on the basics required to give us good government and to allow our economy to get itself back on its feet.  That is your gig. Every other moment taken away from it is a sin.

By focusing, you might be surprised at highly productive and efficient you’ll be at accomplishing the task at hand.

Written by Randy Patterson
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