Relaxed Focus: The Magic of Having More Time
Happy Monday, folks! Today feels like one of those days where you wake up and life just seems effortlessly beautiful. Strangely enough, I’m not swamped by that typical Monday stress—instead, I find myself buzzing with excitement about life.
This feeling probably stems from a spontaneous trip I just took with friends to nearby city. Now, I’ll admit, I’m not one to take many random trips anymore. Even though I could go out more, most of my days are spent bouncing between meetings, office tasks, and interactions—things that, in theory, shouldn’t be that different from traveling. Yet, why does traveling feel distinctly more relaxing?
Here’s the interesting catch—I realized it might just boil down to perception. When traveling, I’m completely at ease. I’m walking more, which should theoretically energize me. Yet yesterday, despite getting more sleep than usual, I found myself exhausted. Perhaps my body saw this as a rare chance to fully relax and simply crashed. It made me wonder, what if every day could feel like this—a continuous state of relaxed, joyful engagement?
Imagine waking up each day treating life as an adventure, staying calmly focused without that nagging urgency of time. When I’m deeply relaxed yet fully focused, time ceases to matter—entering what’s commonly known as the “flow state.” This state feels amazing because tasks become engaging adventures rather than chores, dramatically boosting productivity in shorter bursts.
When productivity rises, there’s a rewarding sense of achievement, giving me “permission” to enjoy leisure guilt-free. Suddenly, there’s abundant time to savor life’s simple joys—chatting with friends, reading, or savoring a cup of coffee. These moments refresh and energize my mind, creating a positive feedback loop. By slowing down intentionally (rather than frantically rushing), I paradoxically accomplish more.
In our hyper-paced world, what I label as “normal speed” feels slow, even lazy. But think about a workout—maintaining controlled pacing builds strength and stamina far better than frantically rushing through sets. Similarly, adopting a controlled, steady pace in daily tasks helps me achieve more without the toxic stress of constantly feeling behind.
And speaking of wasting time—that infamous fear—I recently chatted about this with my friend James. We concluded that no time is truly wasted. Every moment serves a purpose, guiding us toward our priorities and needs. There’s no loss, just choice.
Yet, distractions still lurk. Whether it’s feeling anxious about missing critical information on YouTube or worrying that delayed replies might harm relationships, this fear of loss often drives compulsive checking of phones or social media. Truthfully, these fears rarely materialize.
Just typing this reflection relaxed me profoundly. Accepting life as it comes, without the anxiety of time constraints, brings incredible peace. It’s like becoming a calm warrior, confident and ready to catch whatever life throws at me—even arrows, barehanded!
Today’s takeaway? Let go of the pressure of time. Embrace relaxed focus. Create that virtuous cycle of joy and energy. Remember, you have all the time in the universe, and today is already wonderful.