Focus as an Antidote for Wanting to Do Everything

Focus(ˈfōkəs) as an Antidote(ˈan(t)iˌdōt) for Wanting to Do Everything

By Leo Babauta

I have a problem, and I think most people do as well: I want to do everything.

OK, not actually(ˈak(t)SH(o͞o)əlē) every single thing, but I want to do more than I possibly(ˈpäsəblē) can:

I want to do everything on my long to-do list, today
I want to take on every interesting project
I want to say yes to everyone else’s requests, even if I know I’m already too busy
I want to travel everywhere, and see everything that’s interesting
I want to try every delicious(dəˈliSHəs) food, and I always want more of it (and I always eat too much)
I want to watch every interesting TV show and film(film)
I want to read everything interesting online
I want to take on a lot of interesting hobbies(ˈhäbē) — each of which would take me many hours to master
I want to spend time with everyone I love, with every friend — and also have a lot of time for solitude(ˈsäləˌt(y)o͞od)!

Obviously(ˈäbvēəslē), this is all impossible. But I bet(bet) I’m not alone in constantly(ˈkänstəntlē) wanting all of this and more.

There’s a term for this in Buddhism(ˈbo͞odizəm, ˈbo͝odizəm) that sounds judgmental(ˌjəjˈmen(t)l) but it’s not: “greed(grēd).” The term “greed” in this context(ˈkänˌtekst) just describes the very human tendency(ˈtendənsē) to want more of what we want.

It’s why we’re overloaded with too many things to do, overly(ˈōvərlē) busy and overwhelmed. It’s why we’re constantly distracted, why we overeat and shop too much and get addicted(əˈdiktəd) to things. It’s why we have too much stuff, and are in debt(det).

Greed is so common(ˈkämən) that we don’t even notice it. It’s the foundation of our consumerist (kənˈso͞omərəst) society. It’s the ocean that we’re swimming in, so much a part of the fabric(ˈfabrik) of our lives that we can’t see that it’s there.

So what can we do about this tendency called greed? Is there an antidote?

There absolutely(ˌabsəˈlo͞otlē) is.

The traditional(trəˈdiSHənl) antidote to greed in Buddhism is generosity(ˌjenəˈräsədē). And while we will talk about the practice of generosity, the antidote I’d like to propose(prəˈpōz) you try is focus.

Focus is a form of simplicity(simˈplisədē). It’s letting go of everything that you might possibly want, to give complete focus to one important thing.

Imagine that you want to get 20 things done today. You are eager(ˈēgər) to rush through them all and get through your to-do list! But instead of indulging(inˈdəlj) in your greed tendency, you decide to simplify(ˈsimpləˌfī). You decide to focus.

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https://zenhabits.net/focus-antidote/