One in all my fixed sources of inspiration is Dwelling Correctly, Dwelling Effectively, a beautiful compilation of insights for every day of the yr by Swami Kriyananda. Just a few months in the past, on the morning of my birthday, I enthusiastically opened the guide to see what message Swamiji might need for me. I used to be decided to use that thought in my life. The thought for that day was easy to grasp however alas, not really easy to implement:
To develop focus, do one factor at a time, and do it properly!
Scattered consideration
I began reminiscing about my days within the company world as I thought of this assertion, the place multi-tasking is commonly deemed as extremely fascinating. Job profiles would point out, ‘We wish an individual who can work on many tasks on the identical time.’
It’s thought-about regular to be on a Zoom name whereas checking the e-mail inbox and consuming lunch on the identical time. It was onerous to get somebody’s undivided consideration. Earlier than you recognize it, they’ve their telephones of their palms and are peeking at emails and message inboxes. I can’t, nevertheless, blame others — I, too, was responsible of the identical factor!
I discovered with just a bit analysis that I wasn’t alone. Research present that, on common, an workplace employee will verify their e mail inbox 30 occasions each hour. The typical human now has an consideration span of simply 8.25 seconds – 4.25 seconds lower than in 2000. I puzzled, with such distracted minds, how can anybody obtain something?
Excelling with focus
Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda and founding father of Ananda Sangha, was a person of many skills. Not solely was he a extremely developed and superior yogi, however he was additionally an achieved musician, author, singer, neighborhood chief, administrator, counselor, lecturer, linguist, designer, and architect (forgive me, Swamiji, if I missed one thing). In brief, he was a contemporary polymath.
What helped Swamiji excel in every thing was his undivided consideration to the duty in entrance of him. He as soon as commented that almost all multi-talented persons are not capable of develop their abilities absolutely as a result of their power is all the time divided.
Swami Kriyananda
Swamiji wrote 150 books and over 400 items of music. The key of his huge artistic output was merely doing one factor at a time. When he would focus on a activity, he gave his full consideration to it and put out of his thoughts another actuality.
“Once I write books,” he mentioned, “I can’t even think about how I might ever write music. Once I’m writing music, I can’t keep in mind the best way to write books.” As soon as Nayaswami Devi was visiting Swami Kriyananda when he was engaged on his Oratorio, based mostly on the lifetime of Christ and recounts:
“When Swamiji was engaged on the Oratorio, even when he was with folks, his thoughts by no means left the music. He was all the time gracious, however you would see it was troublesome for him to narrate to us. I felt he needed to translate phrases into melody earlier than they made sense to him. Generally I believe he couldn’t keep in mind my title, however tried to determine me by deciding which key I used to be in: B flat? G minor?”
Vitality and circulation
Swamiji would usually say that it doesn’t take time to do issues, it takes power. You may consider it as a easy equation: Work Accomplished = Time Spent x Depth of Focus. The higher your focus, the faster you’re going to get issues finished.
Fortunately, getting issues finished is just not the one incentive for us to enhance our focus skills. After we are in a deep state of focus, we improve our artistic and intuitive powers, and really feel a way of pleasure, even within the midst of exercise.
Psychologists discuss with this deep state of absorption because the state of circulation.
Psychologists discuss with this deep state of absorption because the state of circulation. Athletes who enter such a state describe how every thing slows down, they simply know the proper choice to be made, and so they see nothing else however their objective. Writers, comedians, and different creatives who enter this state, share how concepts and insights seemingly come out of nowhere.
The flexibility to pay attention deeply provides us mastery over our consciousness. That mastery brings us pleasure. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi creator of the guide Movement, discovered that it doesn’t matter what folks did, so long as they entered this deep state of absorption, they discovered achievement and which means of their work.
I discover that I really feel extra alive, joyful, and relaxed once I give attention to one factor at a time, versus frantically switching between the duties on my to-do record. I noticed that multitasking creates a misleading feeling of effectivity. One merely feels that one is getting extra issues finished, however really finally ends up doing nothing properly.
Any violent or extended pleasure disturbs the circulation of life power by way of the nervous system. Should you put a two-thousand-volt present by way of a fifty-watt lamp, it’s going to burn out the lamp. In the identical approach, extreme stimulation burns the nerves, reducing off the availability of power and upsetting the functioning of the nervous system. –Paramhansa Yogananda
After we attempt to divide our power between completely different tasks, we merely get excited and suppose that we’re doing a lot! In my expertise, on the finish of such a distracted day, I all the time discover myself exhausted. Nonetheless, once I focus and take each activity to its completion, I really feel extra glad, content material, and energetic to maneuver on to the subsequent factor.
Meditation focus
In meditation additionally, focus is likely one of the most important elements to success. The truth is, Yogananda described meditation as “focus on God or considered one of His features.” On the identical time, the primary impediment that newbie meditators usually share with me is, “The thoughts will get distracted so simply! How can I develop focus?”
The reply is straightforward – observe focus in every thing you do. As a result of coaching our focus is a 24/7 job. Focus is just not practiced solely while you meditate. It’s additionally practiced while you’re filling out a type, writing a report, sitting in a gathering, speaking with a good friend, making tea, or driving your automobile. Are you giving your full consideration to every thing you do? Or are you letting your thoughts drift away?
I’ve been studying the best way to play the Indian bamboo flute. Identical to any new talent, it takes sustained software of power to good the approach. In consequence, my instructor has me play the identical (lengthy!) scale generally as a lot as 100 occasions each day. I usually get drained and/or pissed off within the course of. However I steadily realized that, greater than something, it’s serving to me to coach and develop my powers of focus. The higher I can focus, the higher I can play the flute, write this text, or dive deeper into meditation.
Swami Kriyananda, with one easy assertion, has given us the essence of success, whether or not materials or religious. I invite you to experiment and have enjoyable with this all-important idea that may assist you to pursue and discover excellence in all that you just do.
