Who's the biggest enemy of our time?
Let's take a guess.
Yes,
You're close.
You might be looking right at it.
That six-inch device in your hand,
A mobile phone,
And several social media apps in it.
It feels like they have taken all our space and time.
And the best part?
Many of us haven't even realized it.
But what if I told you that they aren't the biggest enemy?
They might be a close second.
Surprised.
The truth is,
They aren't the biggest enemy.
Then what is?
What if I told you it's you?
Shocking,
Right?
Let me ease that shock a little.
It's not you exactly.
It's your distraction.
In other words,
It's where you put your attention.
Let that sink in.
Please take a moment to reflect on your day and notice whatever you are doing is because you have given your attention to it,
Knowingly or unknowingly.
Your day,
Week,
Month,
Year,
And ultimately your life are the sum total of where you place your attention.
Whether that attention is given consciously,
Voluntarily,
Or even forcefully.
Take another moment to reflect.
Now the question is,
How can we focus our attention on what we truly want?
Let's break this down,
Attention syndrome,
And learn how to redirect it step by step.
So the first one,
Acknowledge.
Every transformation begins with awareness.
To solve an issue,
We must first acknowledge that something isn't quite right.
Second step,
Identify.
Once you acknowledge the problem,
It becomes easier to identify what that something is.
In this case,
We are talking about your divided attention.
You agree,
Right?
Now the third one,
Locate.
After identifying the issue,
It's time to dig deeper and see where your attention is divided.
Social media,
YouTube,
Netflix,
Maybe work,
Side hustles,
Studies,
Or even family obligations.
Anything that constantly consumes your mental space counts.
Here comes the fourth step,
That is,
Quantify.
This is one of the hardest part,
But most revealing parts,
Quantifying your attention.
Reflect on your daily or weekly routine.
Remember,
You have 24 hours in a day,
Just like everyone else.
Find out how you are using or consuming these 24 hours each day.
For example,
8 hours for sleep,
8 hours for work or study,
2 hours for meals,
2 hours for getting ready,
Freshening up,
And 2 hours for travel,
And the remaining 2 hours for leisure or entertainment.
Now,
Once you quantify your day and where you spend most of your time and how you utilize your time,
Give yourself a pat on the back.
Well done.
You have already won half the battle.
Here comes the fifth step,
Assessment.
This part requires your best judgment.
List what's essential,
What's optional,
And what's in between.
You will end up with something like this,
16 to 8 hours absolutely necessary,
Which includes sleep,
Work,
And your meal.
Meals,
If you have,
And mostly we have more than one meal in a day.
2 to 4 hours for can live without,
Like leisure,
And 2 to 6 hours are like in between,
Example like getting ready or travel time.
Now,
The sixth step is decision.
After acknowledging,
Identifying,
Locating,
Quantifying,
And assessing,
What's next?
You might say,
The solution,
But I beg to differ.
Before the solution comes,
The decision,
Your decision.
Your decision to act,
Your decision to prioritize your attention,
And your decision to change the status quo.
So,
It's very important that you decide.
And seventh step is solution,
And that is your attention.
Yes,
You heard that right.
Once you've decided to act and are ready for change,
That very change,
That very solution is your attention.
Your attention is both the hurdle and the solution.
Once you consciously choose where to place it,
Your entire experience changes.
Your focus becomes your superpower.
So,
Embrace it.
Now,
The eighth step is belief.
Belief fuels consistency.
Even if you're not entirely convinced yet,
Choose to believe that reclaiming your attention will reshape your life,
Because it will.
I promise you that.
Ninth step is to choose.
Revisit your step five,
Step where we have done assessment,
Where you identify the things you can live without.
Now,
It's time to choose.
Replace those activities that drain your attention with the ones that align with your goals.
Now,
The final step,
Action.
This is the most powerful step,
The one that turns thought into reality,
The true hero of your life.
Take action now.
