I Use Surfing to Understand Focus
ByI have surfed as a teenager, but after years of skiing, I am relearning.
I have certainly gone beyond where I was back in my teen years, I had a 9’6” board which was relatively easy to catch waves and was very stable.
Now I have a long board and have started with a shorter board as well.
The difference in the two is major. The shorter board is more difficult to catch waves because it doesn’t have the surface area to catch the power. Therefore I have to wait longer in the wave which means I have to move faster to get up before the wave crashes.
It is also less stable once up so my balance has to be just right. It also prefers bigger waves in order to get the power it needs. Those bigger waves often come with rougher surf meaning I am ducking more waves to get out and crashing is getting a thrashing.
Therefore, when I am finally in position to ride, my adrenaline is up for several reasons. After I have caught several rides I am no longer thinking about anything but me and the board. But for the first waves I have difficulty concentrating on the board and am thinking more about the steepness of the wave or the consequences of crashing.
After I have caught several waves I get into a flow. It is only me and the ocean and the board and the waves are my servants. On the short board until I have caught a few, the waves are the master and I am a humble servant.
When I see only me and my board and don’t pay attention to the waves or the consequences everything works great. How easy is it for you to do that in real life? Athletes describe this as being in the zone.
It is the environment in which you find absolute enjoyment and peak productivity.
In our daily lives not only are there interruptions and too much on our minds to get into flow, we allot them.
I get into flow each morning as I write. I have set the circumstances to create the right environment. It might start by taking care of my responsibilities each day so that nothing in my personal or business life is hanging over my head. I pay the necessary bills or know when I will pay them. There is no fear or dread hanging in my subconscious.
Failing to get into flow with a career or at a job produces less than your potential. When you are concentrating on the rewards of doing a good job instead of the job, you lose concentration. When you have so many things on your mind instead of the task at hand your performance is less than optimum.
My older daughter is a new head hunter moving high income sales people to new positions. She seems to talk about making more money by doing a good job. I have found with sales people that when that is their primary motive, it becomes transparent to everyone involved.
It is difficult to get into flow if you are not doing something you thoroughly enjoy where the activity is the reward. We all need money, but if we are concentrating on the money first and the performance second, the enjoyment and the performance of flow will be elusive.
Often we have too much responsibility and we become multi taskers. People think they are great at it because everything gets done. It’s like people who drive while talking on their cell phones think they are great at it. Tests have shown these drivers have the same reaction to a surprising event as an inebriated person.
Flow is the participation in an activity in which you have competence or have thoroughly practiced, is a challenge, but not beyond your capabilities, and in which you can eliminate distractions while you engage.
Focus has to be 100% to get into flow.
The rewards are worth it.
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