What F.O.C.U.S. Means to Me

I've experienced this scenario countless times: I'm doing something. I start doing something else. I tell myself, "Finish the first thing before starting the second thing". I believe there's no such thing as multitasking-doing two or more things each at 100%. I may do more than one thing at a time but unless I focus on just one task, I won't give 100%.

Many times before getting MS this was my scenario for cooking dinner: Having the TV on but not watching it, talking on the phone, my young child sitting on my foot, and me cooking something on the stove. I liked juggling many things and feeling "busy". I cooked dinner, set the table, knew my family would shove the food in their mouths in 10 minutes and leave me with a mess to clean up, nevertheless I did it because I loved them. I didn't give 100% to cooking dinner - I did it because we had to eat.

The F.O.C.U.S. acronym doesn't apply to every situation (case in point: the above scenario). But for people like me who start another thing before finishing the first, sometimes it's helpful to remember to finish the first thing before starting something else.

I'm Focusing on My Goal In Order to Get It

A person only did one hour's work when the rest of the workers had worked all day. They got paid for their work and all got the same amount. Some of the workers said, "That's not fair! We worked longer than him and yet we all got the same amount!" The person who paid them said, "I didn't treat you unfairly. You agreed to the amount and that's what you got paid." Then he said, "Why do you choose to be jealous when I choose to be kind?"

That last question really gets me when I think about it. Am I being jealous when I think something's unfair? Does it really matter what someone else gets when I get my fair share? That story makes me tell myself, "Just be concerned with yourself, not them."

Concerning myself about others is one of my biggest weaknesses. Imagine my coach saying, "Just look at me" and motioning imaginary walls around him and me as I dart my head from side to side and look at everyone else. If I'd just focus on him I'd get my goal instead of focusing on others and getting distracted. When I type what I need to do it becomes clear-focus on my goal, and not focus on things that will distract me.