A few years ago I was invited to a hand analysis party. When it was my turn, the analyst looked at my hand for a few seconds, then asked (and I’m repeating from memory here), “Do you find your mind going off in a million different directions at once? Do you have trouble getting to sleep because your mind is racing with idea after idea running through it nonstop? Do you have a lot of different interests, and trouble focusing on just one?” All my friends laughed, and I had to tell him this was all true.
I am chronically unfocused. I am easily distracted. Ooh! Shiny! I think some part of me sees minimalism as a way to clear the clutter from my life, purge myself of distraction, and finally accomplish the great things that this hand analyst seemed to think I could do because I have a “brain like a supercomputer”. Hell, maybe the first thing I could focus on would be figuring out what those great things are.
My favorite new blog post today is this one over at mnmlist.com. This is something even the chronically unfocused can do. Unfocused people like things spelled out in steps for them, because then they can do just one little bit and not be discouraged. I can say, “Ooh, I’m on step 3!” and know that eventually I’ll be able to do step 4, step 5, and so on.
Clutter is a distraction. My busy busy brain sees things around the house, or the office, and starts thinking about how that thing needs to be put away, or washed, or disposed of, or starts to reflect on the memory it conjures up. This is one reason why I prefer not to work at home – there’s always something that needs doing and I have never been able to tune out my surroundings. That’s why I need my surroundings toned down, I guess. Hmm, just now thought of that and it makes sense.
I think, for this unfocused person anyway, that minimalism is not only possible, it is necessary if I am ever to accomplish anything. I mentioned before that I have a busy life. I have a large circle of friends and a corresponding number of invitations and social engagements. I have a demanding job with firm deadlines that sometimes require late hours. I have a wide range of interests, and want to indulge them all. I KNOW I am not the only one. This probably describes a lot of people, maybe even you.
I don’t think these things are mutually exclusive. I think minimalism may be the answer for many busy, unfocused people to make it all work.
