In /Meditations/, Marcus Aurelius wrote about the path to ultimate focus.
He said, “[do] external things distract you?
Then make time for yourself to learn something worthwhile; stop letting yourself be pulled
in all directions.
But make sure you guard against the other kind of confusion.
People who labor all their lives but have no purpose to direct every thought and impulse
toward are wasting their time—even when hard at work.”
In my opinion, Marcus got to the heart of a focused life: do something worthwhile.
A surprising amount of depth and power lies behind this simple idea, and the best way
I can explain it is through a dialogue.
--- Taisho, a wealthy businessman, climbed to
the top of Mt Miyazaki where he met with a wise monk.
The following conversation ensued.
T: I find myself distracted everyday.
I’m the head of a large company whose revenue is declining each quarter.
People are depending on me, but I can’t seem to focus on the business.
How can I regain my attention?
M: Live sincerely.
T: What do you mean?
M: Do something worth your while.
T: How will that lead to ultimate focus?
M: When you live sincerely, when you do something worth your while, when you do what you genuinely
want to do, your focus is never forced.
Watch your mind.
Notice: when you’re at work, your attention is being pulled by something you consider
more worthwhile.
Perhaps your attention is drawn to another business idea, or relationship problems, or
recreational activities.
Focus naturally falls on what we consider worthwhile.
It gravitates towards the things we value.
T: But as a CEO, I can’t always do what I want to do.
I have duties.
M: Then you should not expect ultimate focus.
You should expect to be distracted, and you shall be distracted by the very things you
genuinely want to do, which is where your attention naturally falls.
If you live a life of duty, your attention will always be torn between doing what you
“should do” and what you want to do.
Your entire life will be a state of distraction.
While in a meeting, you will be thinking of something more worthwhile—resolving a fight
with your spouse, creating another business, or planning a vacation–and you will not
be attentive at work.
T: Then your words are useless to me.
How can anyone hope to live a life of ultimate focus?
Doesn’t everyone have to do things they don’t want to do?
M: No.
People choose to live insincerely.
They choose to live according to what they “should do” rather than what they want
to do because it brings them security.
I am not saying that you should or shouldn’t do anything.
I am not saying to neglect your duties as the head of a company, but if you live insincerely,
if you do things that you don’t feel are worthwhile, you should expect to be distracted.
I am simply describing to you the way your own mind works.
T: What you’re saying makes a bit of sense, but this idea of living sincerely seems unrealistic
to me.
What if someone wants to commit a crime?
Do you advise they follow what they want to do then?
M: I am not advising anything.
I am saying that when someone does what they view as worthwhile, they naturally achieve
ultimate focus.
Let me ask you a question: have you met a criminal who was not a slave to his passions?
A criminal who was not a slave to his anger, or his lust, or his envy, or his greed, or
his resentment, or his worldview?
T: I can’t say that I have.
M: So you asked me if one who goes beyond duty becomes a criminal, yet we both agree
that it is the criminal’s duty to his own feelings, passions, and worldview that cause
his behaviour.
And I have met hundreds of this type, the ones who do what they “should do”, the
ones who follow their duty.
Endless crimes have been committed in the name of duty: duty to one’s pride, one’s
anger, one’s jealousy, one’s family, one’s king, one’s nation, or one’s god.
Every criminal believes she knows how the world “should be”, and this “should”
is what leads to her crime.
T: I’m at a loss for words.
But if I do what I want to do, won’t I get fat and lazy?
M: Maybe.
Maybe not.
You might become the strongest you have ever been.
T: How is that possible?
M: When one lives sincerely, without being sheltered from the consequences of their actions,
they truly learn.
When one truly learns, the things they want change.
After months of eating, drinking, and relaxing, you will suffer some consequences.
And after these consequences, you may realize that is not how you truly want to spend your
life.
T: What if I can’t live life the way you suggest?
What if I choose to live an insincere life?
How can I focus then?
M: Then you must get rid of all the things you genuinely want to do from your environment.
Prisoners in your city often read and exercise when they are sent to prison because they
have nothing better to do.
You must design your life so that you have nothing better to do than your work.
Remove it all, and then you might achieve the focus you desire.
But then you will be a prisoner, and even in prison, you might not escape the distraction
of your own thoughts.
It’s your choice; live as you wish.
--- Marcus Aurelius said that the path to ultimate
focus was to do something worthwhile, and I explored the meaning behind this idea through
a dialogue.
It seems that there are two ways to ultimate focus: sincerity or imprisonment.
In today’s society, the popular way is the way of imprisonment.
Someone who takes this path wishes they had a chamber that could seal them in for a set
amount of time with nothing to do but their work.
In fact, they’d prefer if they couldn’t physically leave the chamber until their work
was actually finished.
But that’s just a glorified prison.
So if one takes the way of imprisonment, they spend their time downloading app blockers,
a-lotting time for themselves to take a break, turning off the internet, removing the TV
and game consoles, hiding their phone, isolating themselves in a quiet place, and in general,
crafting an environment so there’s nothing better to do than their work.
None of these activities are bad in themselves, but they are often just band-aids over the
realer, deeper problem.
Someone who takes this path spends their life in conflict with themselves.
And at the end of the day, these tricks often don’t work.
The alternative path is the way of sincerity.
When one lives sincerely, they easily and instantly become focused.
And as one lives sincerely, without being sheltered from the consequences of their actions,
they truly learn.
And when one truly learns, they gain wisdom.
And wisdom is the path to ultimate focus.
If someone thinks I’m saying to follow your passion, or do what you love, or some other
cliche instruction, they haven’t understood me.
I’m saying when one does what they genuinely want to do, focus is the natural result.
When someone does what they feel they should do, distraction is the natural result.
When someone does what they genuinely want to do without being sheltered from the consequences,
they become wiser.
When someone does what they feel they should do, they gain knowledge at best, not wisdom.
And wisdom is the path to ultimate focus.
But at the end of the day, this is just my opinion and understanding of Marcus’ words
and the nature of focus, not advice.
Feel free to use this information however you like, and if you have a different take
on Marcus’ words, I’d love to hear your perspective
in
the comments.