Focus

Episode 587

May 2, 2020

i exercise with my wife every day.

Some repetitions are held for 30 seconds.

Some reps are done 10 times per set. Some sets are repeated 3 times.

All this counting is distracting to me.

Luckily, Paula counts everything.

She counts to herself, then calls out the next move.

This frees me to focus on each exercise or stretch.

i can visualize the muscles and ligaments moving, feel the burn as i push the stretch and listen to the pops from the joints.

This allows for an intimate connection with my body.

During a counted set of reps i may not do all 10, but because of focus the motions i perform are of a high quality.

This approach generates a natural modification of the set.

i may not do all 10 reps, but each one will be of the best quality i can acheive.

i may do more than the 10 reps, in which case i am exceeding the exercises requirements.

The more focused the higher quality results.

When using power equipment it is always best to focus on the work.

Shop projects begin with an idea.

i wanted to add some shelves to the storage shed.

Let’s drill down to the doing of the project.

In the planning stages i turn music on in the shop.

i break down the shelf job:

1. Measure.
2. Make drawings.
3. Find the materials in the wood stack.
4. Rip and cross cut the shelves.
5. Round the protruding corners of the shelves
6. Paint
7. Install

During each step of the project my focus becomes more acute.

Let’s break down the rounding of the shelf corners:

First step: turn off the music in the shop.

Music is a distraction from focusing on the details.

 — Mark the radii using my cousin’s template invention. Quick Corners is a set of radius templates that allow for concave or convex corner curves. No need for compass radius measurements or marking the piece to find the pivot point.

 — Set up the bandsaw with a safe uncluttered place to stand, plenty of light, ear and eye protection. Think about where my hands are relative to the blade. Turn on the saw. Enter the wood into the blade. Focus on the place where the blade is cutting the wood. Listen, see and feel the teeth slicing through the wood. Adjust the speed of the cut to the cleanest sing of the saw. Keep the blade just outside the pencil mark.

 — Set up the edge sander with a safe uncluttered place to stand, plenty of light, ear and eye protection. Think about where my hands are relative to the sanding disk. Turn on the sander. Set the shelf on the sanding table and press lightly into the disk. Focus on the place where the wood touches the disk. Listen, see and feel the disk wearing down to the line. Adjust the pressure on the disk to the smoothest approach to the line. Have a light touch.

Focus is safe, accurate and efficient. It takes a little longer to complete a project with good focus, but time is saved without injuries, repairs or do overs. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

Focus plays a role in using a computer too.

Most computer projects require many programs open and used in concert with each other.

The over all goal must be kept in mind, but the focus of any moment must be on the task at hand.

When writing text, focus on the words, not the word processing app.

When editing graphics focus on the line, curve and color, not the graphic editor controls.

When researching, focus on the thread of links and where they lead you, not on the browser.

Another side effect of focus is a shrinking of Time. Time outside of your focus passes quickly. Focus stretches out each moment revealing the richness of its details. Focus allows you to become lost in an infinite moment of Time.

Focus is what you see in the purest form of a moment.