I am not a fan of the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. For two reasons. Firstly, because resolutions do not work. They are actually just wishes or dreams with no target date. They are usually defined in such a generic way (“enjoy life more” or “learn something new”) that do not involve any specific action you should take to achieve them. It is like trying to win the lottery without purchasing any ticket. You know it’s not going to happen.
And secondly, because even if resolutions were well defined—not as desires, but as achievable goals—they do not have to have anything to do with the calendar year. You should set goals regardless of the season when you need to achieve things. Moreover, the time it takes you to reach them can vary. It can take one month or two years, depending on how big or small the goal is, the time you can spend on it, and how effective you are.
Nevertheless, this year, I’ve set a resolution of sorts. I aim to enhance a crucial skill vital for navigating daily challenges, spanning from efficiently completing tasks to fostering robust interpersonal connections: my attention.
In fact, I’m seriously considering this matter as I delve into the pages of “Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence” by Daniel Goleman (which I began reading two days ago). While I believe I generally excel at maintaining concentration on my tasks, the initial chapters of this book have enlightened me on the importance of pushing this skill’s boundaries in today’s context.
According to Goleman, the link between attention and excellence is behind almost all our achievements. Attention is needed not only to understand, learn or remember but also to read the emotions of others, generate empathy and build good relationships. It is an asset that, despite being little known and despised, has great relevance in how we face life.
And it is something that is withering. Technology is bringing us some good stuff, but is also making us more and more unable to pay attention to anything for a while. We feel such a necessity to check our email and the posts of our acquaintances in social networks every few minutes, that we are no longer able to enjoy a book, a movie, a concert or a dinner. We all see people that meet to have a beer and do not talk to each other, although they talk with others who are not present, through mobile. Today teenagers are so used to communicate via devices that they become terribly clumsy identifying emotions through nonverbal gestures.
I’m deeply concerned about certain things, so (1) I’ve decided to steer clear of those concerns, and (2) I intend to motivate others to do the same. How will I approach this commitment? Recognizing that attention grows with practice, I’ll make a conscious effort to engage it daily. I’ll establish a daily routine to assess whether I’m fully attentive to my actions.
-Manasa Kulkarni
Life Lesson's 