It’s Easy To Focus When…

I just got back from a two week mission trip to Haiti where a few teams worked on a two-story orphanage. While it was amazing to see what was accomplished in two weeks, it was equally amazing to see how easy it was to focus on the task at hand when nothing was competing for our attention.

Each day was simple:

1. Wake up.
2. Eat breakfast.
3. Be on the truck at 6:30 am.
4. Work until 10:00 am.
5. Break for 15 minutes.
6. Work until 12:00 pm.
7. Break for two hours to eat lunch.
8. Work until 5:00 pm.
9. Clean up.
10. Eat dinner.
11. Clean dishes.
12. Group devotionals.
13. Collapse from exhaustion.

Not a whole lot of room for distractions. And given the unreliable nature of electricity in the evenings, there was an absence of distraction and lure to be captivated by the internet.

As I get acclimated back to my daily life, I find a desire to maintain the simplicity of focus that was prevalent in Haiti. My schedule is drastically different, but what I have learned is that focus and attention to tasks is easier when there is nothing competing for my attention.