Have you ever felt that your attention and energies were too thinly spread? I have been battling with this for weeks. The end result has been much started and little accomplished. I'm sure the devil is quite happy and satisfied. I have many things that need doing and many more things that I want to do. I have a multitude of books and articles that I really need to read and as many that I want to read. There is no shortage of individuals that I need to visit for encouragement and prayer. Phone calls? Don't get me started. I spend more time with my family than do most husbands and fathers, but it still is less than I'd like to spend with them. To express the state of my life accurately I must say that I spread myself too thinly.

I point the finger of blame to none but self. I have fallen into the dangerous pit of distraction and lost the power that resides in focusing attention to the task at hand. To illustrate one need only think about the power of light. Diffuse sunlight is pleasant and with a 2'x3' solar panel one can derive a few watts that will light a fluorescent bulb or two. Had I fresnel lens of the same size, however, I can focus the same sunlight into a narrow beam of several thousand degrees heat that will turn concrete into molten lava. Any real man will take molten lava over an “earth friendly green” light bulb any day!

Therein we see the difference between the dispersion of our attention via distraction versus the power of getting the job done through concentrated focus. Sometimes I amaze myself (not hard to do) with the quantity and quality of work that I can do with just a small amount of focused energy and attention. I also am amazed at how quickly I can “fritter-away” and whole day doing “this and that” and before I know it, the day is gone and I haven't really completed or accomplished one thing of significance. On my desk lay an array of books and articles that I've begun to read, but the phone rang or the office buzzer rang... you know the rest.

My motto for the last few days has been “stay on task”. Over and over through the day I will repeat it in my mind, “stay on task, stay on task.” Do interruptions happen? Certainly they do, but remember the motto? “Stay on task.” What was the task? The answer comes to mind and immediately I am back to work, nose to the grindstone, shoulder to the wheel... whatever cliché you wish, the important thing is that job is getting done

I will take one small job done well over a dozen jobs started but nothing of significance seen through to completion. I have heard and often repeat to myself and anyone who will listen that persistence will overcome 99% of all obstacles. Persistence is the mother of any skill or subject to be learned. Some of have said “The devil is in the details”. He is also in the distractions. There is power in focus and persistence. Remember, stay on task.

Paul Pryor
St. Petersburg, FL