I’ve been thinking a lot about focus lately. I’m not sure how you’re managing, but, for me, it feels harder to focus. There are so many distractions. We carry our phones with us and when they ring we answer them and our attention gets side-tracked. I try to check my email at least once a day, but it seems to take an hour to get through it. What’s important? What is junk mail?  What needs immediate attention? And, what can wait until a later time? Then how do I remember to get back to the one’s that I put off.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m working on a stitch challenge that has me stitching on a “page” (aka a small piece of fabric) for 15 minutes a day. Every 5 days, I start a new page. (I’m nearly half-way through this 100 day challenge.) It is proving to me that I can find time (at least small increments of it) to focus. It is also making me question my focus skills in other areas of my life. How do you let go of what doesn’t work and find more time for what does work? When do you find time to stop and make a list of priorities? These are some of my thoughts as I stitch each page.

I’ve always included creativity in my life, but I’m realizing that the results are beyond the final product. These focused sessions help me to evaluate the other parts of my life. Much like meditation, indulging in our creative passions can center us and provide clarity. I’m learning to pay attention to my thoughts as I create. This challenge clearly has me focused on priorities?