Tag: focus

Thinking about effectiveness

Carl Setzer1 Comment

I came across this quote from Steve Jobs this morning:

“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” — Steve Jobs

I’ve found answering the question “what do I say no to?” the hardest. Whether it’s because I loathe disappointing people, or simply letting fascinating ideas go, saying “no” is highly challenging for me.

What about you? Does “no” flow easily of of your tongue? How do you go about de-selecting work? Oru time is limited, so it’s our focus that’s golden. How do you protect that?

My Music Mood, August 7, 2020

Carl Setzer

Music, a deeply critical part of my life. I use it to reflect my mood or change it. It gives me energy, focus, feeds sadness. Such a powerful thread interweaving my whole life.

I’ve been streaming Kaki King the past few days. Her music covers such a wide range of topics and styles. She has plenty of pieces that give me energy and focus, important things since my studies are demanding plenty of both lately.

Pieces like this have been today’s loops:

https://youtu.be/_GnsPALu-Po 

Explore more about my relationship with music here.

Here’s my daily playlist built on my current interests and foci.

Collecting My Thoughts

Carl Setzer

collecting my thoughts

seeking an organized mind

fill my life with joy

A Sunday morning haiku

Carl Setzer

As dawn climbs the sky

How do i better myself?

Birds sing their answer

It’s a challenge for me to focus on the future, to create a vision. It’s much easier to live in this moment. But it leaves gaps in my psyche I try to fill. This is perpetual for me. 

Achieving Focus: Today’s Haiku

Carl Setzer

Achieving focus 

A few moments of stillness 

Hidden from the cold 

Seeking Positive Energy 

Carl Setzer

I must fill my soul

With positive energy 

So I exude grace 

What you feed your soul becomes the core of your being. Be thoughtful. 

Mindfulness in Chaos

Carl Setzer

Facing down chaos 

Though I spend time focusing

New demands arise 

Keep your focus

Carl Setzer

My mind grinding forth

So very much to get done

Hey! Don’t lose focus!

“Too much”, or “I need to focus”

Carl Setzer

​I love to write. I love blogging. Yet there are challenges. Distributing my focus lowers my effectiveness. That troubles me. And yet, though each site has meaning to me. But each site has costs, economic and otherwise. Every time I focus on one, I can’t focus on another. 

I haven’t had an objective, much less a strategy on any of my sites. I love to write poetry, about Seattle, about sustainability, geek culture, about so very much. Each site has value to me. I hate the idea of neglecting one at the expense of another. Yet I also hate writing substandard stuff. I prefer to be proud of what I put on the internet. 

This time in history has so many choices; a blizzard of potentials and possibilities. And I hate letting go of those potentials. Any of them. Yet I know that must be done to achieve ANY of them. How does one choose which baby to let die?

Perhaps overly dramatic, but it captured the sentiment I’ve been struggling with. 

Remember that we have the power to pursue joy

Carl Setzer

Antidote to fear 

Focus on the positive

Create your own joy