Chapter 17
FOCUS or FRITTER
Another personal experience: I woke up one morning and said to myself “I don’t seem to be getting anywhere.
The days are frittering away and nothing meaningful seems to be getting done."
I’m into a number of projects and have many interests, but none of which seem to be moving ahead. What am I? A consultant, an entrepreneur, an author, a retiree? “Que sera, sera?” as the song goes.
I could spend all day on the computer, what with Internet and all the software and multimedia available. And the time would pass quickly. But the day would disappear and get lost in the swamp of yesterdays.
It is interesting and even exciting to have a lot of interests and things demanding of your attention. Then I remembered what my father quoted to me from the Bible when he was asked to take on the presidency of a large city Kiwanis Club:
“This one thing I do....”
He was president of his own publishing business, and it required his full attention to keep it in the black.
“This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press to ward the mark...”
Philemon 3:13, King James version Bible
Being president of the big city Kiwanis Club was a distinct honor, but he turned it down.
On the other hand, my mother was offered leadership in her church work, where she devoted a lot of her time, and she also turned it down but for different reasons. She should have accepted!
When I look back on the last few years, the things I remember are the “lumps of accomplishment” and they are the things that took dedicated time and focus.
So, the morning I became aware of the way time was slipping by with no distinct things accomplished, I decided that what was necessary was the trimming of the ship, and the focus on “this one thing I do.” As soon as that decision was reached I felt a real surge of energy.
Timing is also important. There is a time when doing nothing is appropriate but not all the time!
In the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes is a statement of this philosophy that puts it very well.
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven........a time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pick up that which is planted....”
Ecclesiastes 3:1, King James version, Bible.
Now a lot of people are quite happy spending their time in doing a lot of different things. They don’t need a specific project, or focus. But there are others that feel aimless without a focus, and I am one! Focus gives energy and meaning to life. Surely that is why so many older people are in positions of note in the world. Their lives have purpose and challenge, and although life might be a bit frantic at times, they seem to prosper at it.
So what is the message? Focus or fritter?
Focus or fritter,
What does it matter?
But focus for me
Is significantly better.
So there you are, another issue to ponder.