It seems as the weather warms, my over-drive is kicking in more often. There was nearly a small book of documents that I had to read early this morning on a real estate transaction and I was surprised to find myself having read and understood it all before my first appointment. I’m finding that an un-interrupted block of time is perfect for going over papers that require one’s full attention without distraction.
Many people tell me they don’t have time to read or perform tasks that require great focus. Most likely their time is not structured enough where certain hours in a day can be set aside for simply just that. The hither and tither bouncing around accomplishes little simply because of there not being enough time allowed and focus given on one specific task. Not but a month ago I set out to do some deep market analysis and thought it would take me far longer than it did simply because I created enough quiet time to focus on something I’d considered daunting.
I speak about this not in a prideful spirit, but rather in an encouragement for others to cut off all distractions when working on something that requires one’s absolute fullest attention. One of my very intelligent elderly family members used to say he couldn’t “hear himself think” because of external noises and interruptions. I laugh to myself sometimes when people are looking at a home and once in a while there are those who have one eye on their smart phones and the other eye on the houses. How can one really see something in its fullest when being distracted by something else. The school children are the worst when it comes to that when tagging along at a home viewing. I was at a convenience store several days ago and two young people started touch-screening their smart phones as soon as the pulled up. They sat there far longer than I’d expected before one of them got out of the car still with phone in hand. I can’t imagine what could be so terribly important for the general public to be so attentive towards. If they were working for some emergency service where they had to be on 24 hour call, I could understand that, but I can’t think of anything so crucial that couldn’t wait for one leave it tucked away in a coat pocket or purse. Oh how times have changed!
I was at a client’s home today and was delightfully surprised to find she has a mid-century chartreuse green Crosley radio sitting on her refrigerator that was actually turned on and a National Public Radio program was playing. I couldn’t stop asking questions about it as well as the memories it resurrected. I think one of my great aunts had an ivory colored one that looked just like it. No touch screens, no batteries, no lighted dials, and 100% made in USA. It was in about as perfect condition as one could ever expect. I asked her if I could take a photo of it and she agreed. Consider all the mid-century gadgets that were made and survived all the fads of our current times. It saddens me to know that most appliances created now have a planned obsolescence built right into them. Seeing that Crosley radio today has given me even more of an incentive to not only encourage myself, but as well others to do their absolute best in whatever their jobs may be so there’ll be someone in the future who’ll look at their artful work like I did today and say, “This creation is indeed a pearl of the past.”
