Part 1: Finding Focus and Intention Amidst the Chaos of Life
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The importance of intentionality in life can be summarized by these quotes:
“If you have a lack of intention, life will just happen to you.” – Unknown
“Learn to say no to the good so you can say yes to the best.” – John Maxwell
From Essentialism by Greg McKeown: "He seemed to find a new obsession every day and every hour, and in the process he lost his ability to discern the vital few from the trivial many..."
If you don’t have goals, a map, or clarity around your desires, life will take you somewhere anyway. This is why being intentional is critical to achieving what truly matters.
The Forces Working Against an Intentional Life
We live in a world full of distractions. If we're not careful, the hustle of daily life can easily derail our focus. To put it bluntly, “Today, a growing number of historical circumstances are blindly flowing together and accidentally conspiring to produce a climate within which it is difficult to have any interior depth whatsoever (spiritual or otherwise)…we, for every kind of reason, good and bad, are distracting ourselves into oblivion.” Here are some examples of the "currents" working against intentional living:
Technology: While it can be a helpful tool, technology often generates more demands on our time. “Even when it does save time... it can spoil the effect by generating a whole new set of duties and desires.”
Constant Distraction: Studies show we check our phones anywhere from 58-80 times a day. This can add up to thousands of swipes, taps, and clicks.
Constant Input: Think about all the other forms of input we have and consume in our lives: TV, the 24hr news cycle, email, texts, podcasts, snail mail hasn’t gone away, calendar clutter with things we say yes to without thinking about the consequences, etc…
Overwhelm of Choices: From nine streaming services (that I can count off the top of my head) to supermarkets, the sheer volume of choices can make us feel paralyzed. There are over 35,000 items in the average supermarket today, compared to just 12,000 in 1980!
This constant barrage of information and choices takes discipline to combat. Without intention, you can find yourself overwhelmed by distractions and disconnected from what really matters.
From a similar vein, I think I’ve started to realize hustle is another form of distraction for most people. Does hustle truly lead to success? Not unless it’s aligned with your goals. Mindless hustle without direction can make you feel like you’re moving, but you might not be heading where you actually want to go.
Developing Focus in the Midst of Chaos:
I began to take focus seriously a few years ago. I realized that focus wasn’t about endless productivity. Instead, it’s about clarity, purpose, and making space for reflection.
Some practical ways to start developing focus:
Read books that emphasize margin and intentionality. I recommend Margin by Dr. Richard Swenson, Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.
Spend time in deep, consistent reflection to discern what’s truly important.