8

Thinking with Focus and Clarity

Some days my problem is I just can’t think clearly.

Too many things battle for my attention. My thoughts feel scattered and I can’t focus enough to tackle anything of value. At the end of a day like that, it seems I didn’t accomplish anything. I worked nonstop but have nothing to show for it except maybe a few less emails.

Working hard isn’t the problem. I can push my body to get things done. But working effectively, tackling important projects . . . that takes focus.

We take our ability to think clearly for granted. However, in our too-busy, information-laden society, clarity of thought is getting harder to come by. We live with a poverty of attention that infiltrates and sabotages our focus, and ultimately, our work.

Mental focus is an important tool in a procrastinator’s toolbox. Without the ability to assess and prioritize our multitude of tasks, we’ll just pick the one that requires the least amount of focus. And usually that’s not what we should be doing first.

Hence the important projects, the life-giving ones, the game-changers, they get pushed back until . . . well, until we feel like we can concentrate. Only those moments don’t come often enough and we start down the path of procrastination once again.

Unfortunately, we take our minds for granted. We assume we are always thinking at our best, but that’s not the case. We need to treat our minds much like a chef treats knives. With care.

Every chef knows a sharp knife is safer and more efficient. Have you ever tried dicing a tomato with a dull knife? You get mush.

But a sharp knife allows for finer, quicker, smarter work. That’s how we should approach our thinking. When we think more clearly, we’ll be able to prioritize our work, and subsequently work more productively.

The good news is we can sharpen our focus. And for most of us it doesn’t take a prescription. Simple adaptations in our daily routines will make a difference.

There are several common reasons why we can feel fuzzy and unable to address more complicated tasks. Before we get into these, let’s start with understanding and working with our design as humans. Too often we overestimate our capacity and underestimate the care needed to maintain the body and brain God gave us. Then we’ll address some societal changes that have snuck in and watered down our attention. I’m convinced our ability to problem-solve will eliminate a good portion of our procrastination issues.

We’re Only Human

We are the gatekeepers of our bodies and minds; how we treat ourselves matters. Yet technology has introduced a dangerous expectation into our beliefs: we should be able to operate at our best at all times.

At any given moment, I want to be able to apply my mind fully, with accuracy and creativity, to whatever task is put before me. I push myself to achieve that goal, expecting my mind to obey my commands.

However, we weren’t designed to operate like a computer—at full speed, continuously, for long periods of time. Processing data in milliseconds and without error.

Oh, how I wish I could. And I’m quite impatient when I face my human limitations. When I find myself mentally sluggish, have trouble making decisions, or feel like I’ve hit a brick wall, I get annoyed and frustrated with myself.

How unfair of me to expect that of myself! I’m not a machine. I’m a human created by a loving God with intricacy and intentionality. And with a need to rest, both physically and mentally.

The more I honor the design of the Creator, the more effective I am in my ability to prioritize, manage, and complete the daily tasks and big goals that God has assigned me.

Let’s look at sleep, for example. I used to wonder why God designed us to need sleep. What motivated Him to factor into our design a requirement that our bodies shut down for seven to eight hours of sleep a day? I know there are restorative processes happening when we sleep, but couldn’t God have made that happen while we eat?

Doesn’t making us need sleep seem so inefficient? Why not design us to go, go, go? I could get so much more done without sleep.

And yet, the more I learn about God, the more I understand we were created for so much more than mere productivity. We were created for relationship. Dependent relationships, in fact. First with Him, then with others.

As I come to understand and accept I was created with what on the surface seem like weaknesses, two things happen. First, unhealthy pride is eliminated. It’s hard to be prideful when I realize how vulnerable I really am. I’m not invincible. I can’t work nonstop. Second, I find myself depending more upon God for strength. My independent nature still struggles with this, but I’m convinced God delights in my need for Him.

So while science can never prove those two reasons for the necessity of sleep, I’ve accepted them as a fact of life.

Many of us want to find the magic bullet for time management or productivity. I’ve certainly read my share of books on those subjects. What tricks will help me get it all done? What app will make me more efficient?

Certainly we can all use the wisdom of others who are learning to be more productive, given the challenges of today. But the more we understand the purpose in our physical needs, and honor them through healthy choices, the better able we are to discover real, sustainable productivity.

Charge and Recharge

Humans are designed to work in cycles. We expend energy and then recharge. In fact, scientists have learned we process through 90- to 120-minute cycles throughout the day called the ultradian rhythm.

Most of us know such a rhythm exists in sleep, when we move through four stages of non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) into REM sleep. But it also happens during waking hours.

Imagine this rhythm much like an auto-shutoff mechanism that protects an electronic device from overheating. Our minds self-protect by diminishing concentration about every ninety minutes and enforcing a mental break.

Rather than honoring this natural ebb and flow of attention and energy and giving ourselves a mental and physical rest, we push through by using artificial ways to recharge. Sometimes it’s something sweet or starchy to eat, or something caffeinated—what I like to call a “liquid nap.”

Rather than consume empty calories, we could employ a simple solution: stop working for ten to fifteen minutes and take a break. Not just for thirty seconds. We actually need to rest.

This will feel counterproductive, but it’s not. In giving your mind and body a chance to recharge, you will actually return to your work with greater focus.

Imagine yourself as a Michelin-rated chef sharpening her knife. Here are some ideas for sharpening your mental blade:

The Critical Importance of Sleep

We love to label our generations. There are the Boomers; the Busters; Gen X, Y, and Z. I’d like to propose a new one: the “E” generation. For exhaustion.

Is there anyone who isn’t tired?

We’ve got a chronic sleep issue. In 2013, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called it a national health epidemic. In a Better Sleep Council survey, nearly eight in ten adults believe they need another hour of sleep to be more productive.[1]

The average adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Statistics vary, but a majority of us suffer from some amount of sleep deprivation. And the impact is profound, including increased health problems and accidents caused by drowsiness.

While science is still exploring and understanding what God designed, and we might not fully understand why, sleep is paramount to focus and good decision making. Without enough sleep, our ability to access higher-level cognitive functions is limited.

There are so many things to blame for our lack of sufficient sleep. There are the happy reasons, like a new baby or waiting up for a loved one to arrive at the airport.

Then there are the harder ones, like parenting teens with late curfews, a snoring spouse, or owning a ninety-five-pound German Shepherd with incontinence problems who wakes you up at four in the morning because she wants you to open the back door rather than going out her doggy door. And believe me, when you have a ninety-five-pound four-legged girl who’s a little leaky, you get up.

A good night’s sleep is hard to get consistently. But the real problem is we accept it as a fact of life, something to suffer through in hopes of getting past this phase of sleeplessness and moving into a time of sweet dreams. Only that never happens. At least not for long. But if we want to operate at our optimum mental state, we must prioritize sleep.

My first experience with sleep deprivation was as a new mom. In fact, it hit me on day two of being a mother. I clearly remember having friends come by, pushing their nine-month-old in a stroller, and tears rolling down my face as I thought, I bet they can sleep through the night.

So if I felt like this on day two of motherhood, can you even imagine how I felt after that? I’d never been able to pull all-nighters in college or even stay up late, so when my wakefulness was enforced night after night with a crying baby I couldn’t seem to help, I was a mess. I remember thinking, at two o’clock one morning while walking and rocking my crying Joshua, This is why they use sleep deprivation as torture.

As I mentioned earlier, there was a time I resented sleep. Most likely because it’s hard for me to function without it. But once I started learning about its God-designed value, I began to appreciate and value sleep like never before.

Critical things happen during sleep that don’t happen during wakefulness. Researchers have learned that while we sleep, our brains catalog events that happened during the day, allowing us to form and consolidate memories we can use in the future.

One new exciting finding shows that the brain clears itself of “waste” when we sleep. This happens because the glymphatic system in the brain expands during sleep and allows the glial fluids to circulate, removing toxins.[2] This finding could have profound impact on understanding diseases like Alzheimer’s. For us, it’s one more reason to get enough sleep.

There are so many reasons why people don’t sleep well that it would be simplistic and dishonoring to just tell you to sleep more. I know what it feels like to lie awake wide-eyed, body tired but mind refusing to shut off. And when we live with the burden of too much undone, it can be even worse.

As I’ve evaluated my own sleep issues, I’ve discovered a few practical habits that help me sleep better.

1. Read my Bible before bed. This is not the only time I read the Bible, but I find ending the day with God’s truth to be the best way to center my mind on God’s power and protection over me. This has helped me overcome worry that might keep me up.

2. Do not schedule evening meetings. For twenty years I’ve said no to any commitment requiring night meetings. I can handle them once in a while, but they make my mind race.

3. Use white noise. I incorporate this with a fan at home and with an app called Sleep Pillow when traveling. I also invested in sleep phones (think a soft headband with speakers) to cut out unusual noise.

4. Define the lines between work and rest. As a telecommuter, I could work around the clock. But I need a clear defining line between work and home life. So I’ve chosen to add something physical to my schedule to separate my work day from my evening. For example, I like to work out or take the dogs on a walk. This ends my work day and allows me enough time for my mind to rest.

5. Do not use a computer screen at night. Our bodies need dark to switch into sleep mode. Studies have shown that exposure to light limits the production of melatonin, which helps to regulate a good night’s sleep. Some people take a melatonin supplement, but I prefer to try to limit the light. Which means my books are all made of old-fashioned paper.

Information Overload

Maybe the most insidious enemy of our ability to focus is information overload. The amount of information we filter each day is astounding. And with each fact, thought, or question, we have to sift and sort and find someplace to store it.

Daniel Levitin, author of The Organized Mind, says, “On a typical day, we take in the equivalent of about 174 newspapers’ worth of information, five times as much as we did in 1986.”[3]

Consider this statistic from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt: “There was 5 Exabytes of information created between the dawn of civilization through 2003, but that much information is now created every 2 days, and the pace is increasing.”[4]

It’s exhausting trying to sort through all that information and choose what to do with it all. Remember it? Save it? Share it? Trash it? We make so many infinitesimal decisions that we get what’s called “information fatigue.”

Have you ever felt that way trying to pick out a hairstyling product? I have no idea if I should choose mousse, gel, cream, crème (yes, these are two different products), balm, serum, custard, sculpting wax, pomade, or whip. Some of these sound like dessert options.

Simply put, we get analysis paralysis and feel like we can’t make a good decision. Perhaps it’s because we wonder if we have the right information we need. What if there is one more piece of information out there? That one perfect piece of data would enable us to make the perfect decision.

Another problem is we don’t know who the “experts” are anymore. We used to know. They were our parents, teachers, and health care providers. Now we don’t trust the experts anymore, and would rather look to our peers for advice even though we subliminally know they don’t know much more than us.

Plus, who has time for all that research? And with all those thoughts brewing, I start to stress. This happens so quickly that I might not even notice it. But my brain does.

In fact, while I’m standing in the Target aisle looking at hair products, the lower part of my brain, the area related to survival response (the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala[5]), senses my frustration and releases neurotransmitters or stress hormones. Rather than activating my executive processing to help me make a decision, these chemicals actually weaken the influence of my prefrontal cortex.[6]

Most of us know this primitive response as the fight-or-flight response and understand its use when facing serious threats. What we are learning is it doesn’t take much stress to activate this automatic response.

So rather than think logically and process a thoughtful response, we find our emotions taking over and we freeze up or respond in unwise ways—like abandoning ourselves to food or a mental escape.

Information overload creates serious problems for procrastinators, as we don’t need any more excuses to abandon our best work. Remember that the definition of procrastination is a voluntary delay of something we could do but choose not to. We’re experts at choosing alternatives to what we really need to do.

So how do we handle the onslaught of information coming our way?

As hard as it will be, we must go on an information diet and limit what we allow our minds to access. Here are some practical tips:

Not only have you reduced the stream of information but you have also freed up time. Let’s use it wisely.

Multitasking Is a Myth

Multitasking, another opponent of focus, is something we do all the time—and it’s actually rewiring our brains in a way that makes it difficult for us to sustain focus when needed. In fact, we can lose up to 40 percent of our productivity when we multitask.[7]

We simply can’t focus on two tasks at once. It takes .7 seconds for us to refocus every time we shift attention from one task to another. And some of us do this hundreds of times a day.

Here’s what happens when we switch from task to task:

We’ve adopted a multitasking lifestyle in part to attempt to manage all the information we’re presented. So we switch from emails to texts to social media to the internet to an app and finally to the work we were supposed to be doing all along.

Mozilla Firefox, a web browser, reports the average user in my age group has three tabs open at one time.[8] Mercy! Once again, I’m above average in the worst sort of way. I usually have about eight tabs open. However, I’m proud to say I did shut down my emails in order to focus on writing. Though I did happen to watch a fun video . . . several times.

The solution to the cost of multitasking is very simple if we are willing to do it. We must retrain our brains by limiting input. This means turning things off and monotasking whenever possible.

I Have the Mind of Christ

First Corinthians 2:15–16 says, “The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

This is good news for us. When we decide to follow Jesus as our Lord, God sends His Spirit to dwell in us. God’s Spirit is available to help us think clearly and make decisions. This verse also tells us we have the “mind of Christ.” But so often I ignore this divine help and try to solve problems in my natural thinking. Hence frustration, discouragement, and confusion. It’s a downward spiral.

When I start to feel overwhelmed, the most productive thing I can do is to stop working and sit in God’s presence. My natural mind might scream that it’s a waste of time and I really should answer a few more emails or rewrite my to-do list instead. But when I quiet myself, and position myself to listen, then God’s Spirit steps in with wisdom.

My reality may include cluttered and chaotic circumstances, but it also includes the Spirit of God and the mind of Christ. The natural mind hears the shouts of the urgent. The mind of Christ allows me to hear the whisper of God in the midst of it all.

Is the clutter in your mind making it hard to think clearly? Perhaps one of your problems is you’re trying to figure things out on your own. You have been given the mind of Christ and you are offered the wisdom of God. So stop working, sit quietly, and allow God to cover your clouded thinking with His clarity.

Practical Application

Consider your mental status at different times throughout the day. When are you sharpest? When do you feel weary? Are there times you feel foggy? By identifying your personal high and low points, you can strategize when to tackle your hardest and best work and when to work on easier tasks.

Now consider the two priorities you are addressing. In light of the new information you’ve learned in this chapter, when would be the best time to work on them? Do you need to minimize distractions or limit information? Do you need to practice monotasking?

What changes need to happen to better manage:

My regular task:

My personal goal: