The REAL Secret? Pay Attention!

I used to joke that I could probably make a million bucks if I put an ad in the paper reading: Guaranteed method for beating all speeding tickets. Send $5! I was married to a cop at the time, so people were constantly asking me how to do that.

The answer? Well, you’re reading this, so that’s worth 5 bucks. Here’s your answer:
Go the speed limit.

I realized I’d probably catch flak for that, so I never did it. But, as they say in South Dakota, ain’t that the truth?

How do you not get mugged on a dark street?   Don’t walk down dark streets alone – or unarmed.
How do you not get arrested for theft?    Don’t take stuff without paying for it.
How do you make your life work better?   Pay attention.

Truth is, most of us have too much going on. We constantly split our attention

Truth is, most of us have too much going on. We constantly split our attention. We have good intentions when we walk in the door on Monday, and then we let emails dictate our tasks for the day. We prioritize our inbox when we leave work, and the next morning, if someone stuck something on the top of that carefully organized pile, we start with that!

My first and primary goal this morning was to pay attention.
Here’s what I wrote on a blank piece of paper on the top of my desk when I stopped working around 8pm last night:

Pay attention to what you are paying attention to.

… I know, dangling participle. Who cares? I knew what I meant.

I’ve read several studies on clutter that give the same advice: put the clutter behind you. On the floor, in a cabinet, on a table in another room. That goes for staplers, doodads, notes, piles of post-its, all the stuff. Leave only the current work on the desk in front of you.

Go ahead, try it. I’ll wait.

Notice something? It’s easier to pay attention. It’s easier to focus. I noticed the moment I moved everything off the desk except for a pad of paper and two notes, I felt an immediate relief.

That relief I felt when I cleared the clutter extended to the rest of the house. I set a timer for 40 minutes, and proceeded to zoom through my house and clear the clutter. I put a huge box in the middle of the dining room, alongside a trash bag. In 40 minutes I collected enough for a run to Goodwill, and enough trash for the recycle bin. That was the highest ROI (return on my investment) I had made in months. In slightly over half an hour, I had opened up the house and my office. My productivity soared.

What we pay attention to – Happens.

So how do you reach your goals? Pay attention to them.
How do you have happier relationships? Pay attention to them.
How do you exercise more, eat less, stop smoking ~ whatever it is you are trying to do? Pay attention.

Where the attention goes the energy flows.

The best reason for paying attention? When we don’t, the wheels can come off rapidly. And then we have no choice but to pay attention. Make your life easier. Focus on your success and your well-being. You’ll be glad you did.

More soon,
I have to go pay attention to some important things.

Cheers,
Beth
~~~~

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Beth’s Website — Beth Terry is a Communications and Resilience Expert. Bring her in to your next conference or Corporate meeting. You’ll be glad you did!