Stay Focused in Time of Uncertainty

When an owl is hunting, it pinpoints its hearing to locate and tune in on its target. According to an NPR interview with Shreesh Mysore at Johns Hopkins University, an area of brain with special cell essentially decides at any instant what the most important piece of information for behavior or survival and what to ignore. Similarly, I have seen video that shows how small kingfisher maintains its eyes at a fixed position by focusing on its target while the body constantly moves, or the way cheetahs hold their heads still while running at 80 miles an hour on the hunt. Human brain behave the same way. It seems that our brain has a way to ignore all the other information in the world once we focus on the thing that we want to pay attention to.

Why focus is more important than ever before? First of all, the world has always been dynamic but it seems we are all facing more uncertainties partly due to the speed of changes the society is going through in many different dimensions: digital transformation, energy transition, pandemic, global supply chain disruption. Each of those events can cause a seismic change to many industries and directly impact daily life. Secondly, the speed of changes increasingly demanding us to multitasking either at work or home. In addition, the emergence of internet in the last few decades have exponentially increased the amount of information we encounter and it is always a challenging to separate noise from signal.

“Information consumes attention. Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” — Herbert Simon

Here are a few things to consider that can help us stay focused at a time of uncertainties:

Reassess priorities: The events in the last couple years have given us an opportunity to assess priorities in our life and reflect on what is truly important in our life. Once we have clarity on priorities, we would be able to have concentration and focus. We would be able to ignore things around you that are of no consequence. It is more likely we will be able to proactively manage work and life, rather than simply spending time reacting or responding to what comes up.

Let go: During time of changes or uncertainties, we need recognize that there are things we can not control. We need to develop the mental capacity to let go. Ironically, most ancient wisdom traditions argue that inner peace comes not from control, but from let go of the illusion.

Establish routines: we are creature of habits. With the increased disruption of work routine due to covid, establish a routine is a powerful way to establish normalcy and provide structure in life. It could be a music moment during commuting time, or daily running or walking routine, or five minutes for reflection at the end of the day. Routine not only calm down our minds, but also more likely help accomplish our goals. 

Embrace positivity: One way to embrace positivity is to stay away, if you have a choice, from negative relationships, events, or news which are not of positive disposition. Establish a network of people who inspire you and support you. The positive energy will force you to evolve through introspection and self-awareness.

Finally, it is obvious but I will emphasize that none of us are going through uncertainties in isolation. Many people are in the same boat and no one has to deal with it alone. Engaging the right people at the right time, sharing the vulnerability can have powerful psychological benefits that might not be obvious. Uncertainty itself is not the issue, it is the unwillingness to accept uncertainty that leads to stress, the desire to control that leads to frustration. Embracing uncertainty and stay focused can bring so much peace and tranquility.

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