20 August 2007

Are you focused?

This morning I attempted to workout at home. I sent my older children into the backyard to play with the water table, and brought the baby into the living room with me for an hour of FitTV. I got down on my mat ready to crunch, crunch, crunch when Sasha seized the opporunity to climb on me. I struggled to see the screen,what with her in my face giggling. I struggled to lift my torso off the floor,what with her lying on my chest. Then I hear the instructor say,"Are you focusing?" And the answer to that would have been "No"! I persisted, taking short breaks to go out back and wrangle the kids back over to their activity, fetch more water and fish stuff Sasha had found on the floor out of her mouth. Again the instructor said "Don't let yourself get distracted, really focus on what you're doing." Okay lady, I thought... are you spying on me?

Of course this got me thinking more deeply (I have a bad habit of that,eh?)... I have not been very "focused" on anything lately. I have a lot of balls up in the air, and I am not sure anything is really getting my attention. My husband has always had a simple answer for this... "Cut back". To which I classically retort that everything going on in my life is of utmost importance and if I cut back the world just won't get on.

But I've decided to try and focus on just a couple things at a time. I figure every few months, I can juggle things a bit and focus somewhere else. But I have to get my priorities straight and see things from start to finish before taking on something new. I need to get my kids focusing, too. School starts next week and they are as much in the Land of Lala as I have been. Plus, if I am successful in getting them back in focus mode, then I will have fewer interuptions and be able to get my level of productivity back up where it should be.

At least when it comes to crunches. ;)

12 comments:

Lisa said...

My answer is also no. For some reason this summer has been hard for me. I haven't been exercising, cleaning or cooking like I should. I keep telling myself that once school starts next week, it will all be better. I hope I am right!

Lara Neves said...

Well, it doesn't help that I have ADD and a million balls in the air. I don't know what to get rid of right now, but there is a reason I title my blog overstuffed. :)

Yvonne said...

Unfortunately, I'm one of those who starts to make my bed, and then remember I have dishes to put in the dishwasher and in the middle of that remember that I forgot to grab the towels from the basement bathroom, and it goes on and on..I appreciate this post. Part of the answer (I think) is to learn to say no and not take on more than is necessary.
Thanks for the post.

Melzie said...

Focus... in summer's it so hard, my routine (that I thrive on) gets tossed out the window because there is no way to maintain it. Today starts my, "Mel, get back on track." :)

Shelah said...

I think that focus is good, but sometimes you just gotta do it, even if you can't give it your undivided attention.

WTG for hanging in there!

Lee said...

Oh.. this is a good post. Focusing.. that is hard. But it is important to focus on the right stuff.

someone else said...

Everyone I talk to is so ready for school and a routine again. This seems to have been a very unsettling and loooong summer for so many.

Now really.....was exercising with a googling baby crawling all over you really that bad??

Lana said...

we are searching for our focus as well :)

Thanks for the nice award!

Tigersue said...

Focus has been my problem for a couple of years. What are workouts? I was really good at getting at least 4 days a week in with about 1 1/2 each time. Not any more. Yuck. Priorities, What are those? To give up the non essential would be to really loose my mind.

Lucy said...

I can imagine the crunch/stomach ride perfectly. I think most moms can.

I don't think we get to focus. It's one of the lessons I've come away with, anyway. I think I am meant to learn how to do my best, with all of those balls up anyway. I miss focusing, I miss being able to do only ONE thing. But if you think about it in terms of juggling, juggling one ball isn't that exciting or fun to watch. Neither is watching someone try with lots of balls that can't do it. But, it's a beautiful thing to watch someone skillfully juggle many balls. Moms are master jugglers.

Chellie said...

Funny you mention this because I need to FOCUS and I've been thinking about it. I have done a lot of things to get on track.... except when it comes to exercising...ha!

Kasie @ ~The Art of Life~ said...

This is a great post, and something that I'm constantly trying to work on. Is is possible for Mommys to have focus? We are the master jugglers of the family! :)