In dressage we use a phrase “on the aids” to describe when we have the horse’s full attention and he is listening to us. You might think that’s a constant with a rider on the back. Have you ever ridden on one of those vacation trail rides? The kind where the horses follow nose to tail? That horse is not on the aids and is paying zero attention to you. In fact, he likely believes that he knows better than you the trail to follow. Should you attempt to deviate from the trail or pass another horse there will be a strong refusal.
When a horse is on the aids he is communicating to the rider “I am ready”; let me know the next movement. When he is not on the aids he is not prepared to work. His mind isn’t into it and surely his body isn’t either. Horses not on the aids are highly and easily distracted.
I am writing this post to you as I was not “on the aids” on this Friday afternoon. Much was getting done but not the important items. As I prepared to move into those important items, I heard the mail arrive. My first instinct was to get up and go sort through the mail further distracting myself from my intended work. And that is why you are reading this now.
Just like the horse, I have not been focused. When the next distraction came, I was game to go for it. I must prepare myself to focus on the task at hand, to be ready for the next meaningful movement and not the distraction.
How do you focus? Let’s see if some analogies from focusing the horse can work for us. We begin by asking questions. Will you go forward? Will you turn left and right? Will you stop? Are you supple today? The answers to these questions determine the amount of warm up and prep needed to focus and position the horse for work.
In the human and business context it sounds like this. Is my desk clear and the tools I need available? Have I disabled distractions of phone and email? Is my mind ready for the work?
I must prepare myself to focus on the task at hand, to be ready for the next meaningful movement and not the distraction.
My answers. It is a beautiful Friday and I am energized after a long week of work (yes!). My mind is popping from idea to idea and I am eager to move things forward. I am ready to work yet have not established focus and gotten on the aids. I do that by shutting down my email, turning off my phone and opening the project slated for my attention this afternoon. The environment I create supports my focus and positions me for work. Bring on the distractions as they will not get the best of me now!
P.S. But isn’t it cool that this blog post came from that lack of focus? Always thinking and living right alongside you dear readers!