The Power of Focus and the Danger of Multitasking

At best I am a mediocre golfer. I love the game, but I'm just not very good at it. I've had lessons and they've helped and I occasionally hit a really good shot or make a really long putt and it makes it all worthwhile.

I believe one of the biggest problems I have if focus. It seems so simple. In driving the ball there are a few basics. Don't snap your head up. Stay behind the ball. Make a full turn and a few others, but all in all there aren't that many things you have to focus on and you only have to do it for a couple of seconds, but when I'm really not playing well I believe the problem is focus. There are just too many things running through my mind.

Ironically when I am playing well, I'm not concentrating on any of the basics. I'm just swinging the club. But of course when things go wrong you tend to try to concentrate on how to fix them.

One thing I've never seen a good golfer do is multitask. When you see a golfer taking a bunch of phone calls or texting between shots, chances are they aren't going to play to their full potential.

 If you have or have had a teenager in the house you've no doubt seen multitasking taken to a whole new level. The physics book is open, the TV is on, the iPod buds are in and they respond to text messages. They assure you they are good at multitasking.

Try this simple exercise. Take three water glasses of the same size and fill each one by pouring in a couple of ounces to each one. It may help to time this. When complete, dump the water and simply fill each glass. Which took longer? Which was neater? Which used fewer materials?

 Okay, so it's not a scientific exercise, and filling water glasses isn't nearly the same as trying to understand a complex physics problem.

I still feel we all try to do too much and often too many things at the same time.

Focus on the task at hand and you're likely to do a much better job. I believe this applies whether you are studying for a physics exam or running a business.

Jon Hunt