Stripes and Bars AMAURY MURGADO
MAINTAINING FOCUS It's easy to lose sight of your most important tasks if you let yourself get distracted. IF YOU ARE A STAR WARS FAN, you might remember that time. If you don't stay in the present, the moment will pass in Episode I, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn tells young Anakin without you and you will miss something. Missing someSkywalker, "Always remember, your focus determines your thing will ultimately lead to you making a mistake. Focusing on the task at hand goes back to the fallacy of reality." Although this quote comes from a work of science fiction, it makes an interesting real-world point. Over time, multitasking. For example, if you are talking on the phone successful supervisors have come to understand that learn- and writing an email at the same time, you are kidding ing how to stay focused is one of the best ways you can invest yourself if you think you are doing both well. The mind is not in yourself. Knowing how to focus multiplies your efforts wired that way; it only commits so many pathways to performing complicated tasks. One of them is suffering from and makes you more effective. There are no tricks or short cuts when it comes to focus. your lack of attention. We have all done this while talking on Focus is all about concentrating on what's important, being the phone. You know you're not paying attention if you are saying things like "uh-huh," "right," in the present, and not letting anyMULTITASKING IS A "sure," or "I get it" just to get by. thing distract you. Of course, that's a Conversely, if you are listening to lot easier said than done. We live in an FALLACY. YOU'RE KIDDING the conversation, then you are probage in which dealing with distractions YOURSELF IF YOU THINK ably making errors as you type your has become the norm. Every experiOTHERWISE. email. You have probably made some enced supervisor knows that distracspelling mistakes or typed the same tions lie in wait around every corner words twice. It's far better to focus on with every call of the radio, buzz of your cell phone, or walk-up question. I always knew it would one task at a time by taking the phone call and then finishbe an interesting day when the conversation started with, ing your email afterward. If it deserves your attention, then you should give it fully. "Hey, LT, got a minute?" Focusing on the positive is more important than you In order to understand how to use focus to our advantage, let's break it down into three basic concepts: focusing might think. Negativity is one of our biggest distractions. It's a on the now, focusing on the task at hand, and focusing on proven fact that negative thoughts, words, and attitude create negative and unhappy feelings, moods, and behavior. In esthe positive. Focusing on the now is also called mindfulness. Mindful- sence, you are what you think. I believe it's better for a superness means being present in the moment; being more con- visor to think in terms of how to make something happen inscious of life as it happens. It is being in a state of active at- stead of why it's not going to happen. Focus on what resources tention in the present. One of the keys to accomplishing this you already have, what past experience you can draw from, or is doing one thing at a time. This may seem counterintuitive any middle ground and use that as your starting point. Negativity is contagious and only serves to drag everyone as a supervisor, but it can be applied. We often hear the term multitasking in the same conver- down. Bypass the drag by looking for the positive first and sation about focus. However, there is no such thing as mul- moving on from there. Complaining or whining about what titasking in the sense that we have been led to believe. You you don't have or why you feel it won't work does nothing to may be involved with five tasks simultaneously, but you're accomplish the mission. Change the conversation in order not actually doing them all at once. You are just switching to find ways to make it work. When you change the converfocus from one to another in succession. There is a Zen prov- sation, you tend to change the outcome in your favor. Staying focused requires practice and commitment. It's erb that says, "When walking, walk. When eating, eat." Another key to focusing on the now is not thinking of only a great tool if you learn how to use it. Mark Sanborn said, the past or worrying about the future. You need to think in "Fear not but to waste the present moment." I have to agree. terms of what's important now. What are you dealing with right now, at this very moment? There is no way to think in Amaury Murgado retired a senior lieutenant from the Osceola terms of the past, the present, and the future all at the same County (FL) Sheriff's Office with over 29 years of experience.
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POLICE NOVEMBER 2016