You only need one reason to get out of bed in the morning. This is very good news! Because finding your reason turns out to be the most significant thing when it comes to your career, your happiness and, in some cases, your survival.
You see, multitasking is a myth. The way our brains are wired, we can only think of one thing at a time. I know it doesn’t seem like it when thoughts roll over each other and we interrupt our own train of thought so often we can’t find the track. But studies show it’s the truth.
Even women, with their much ballyhooed multitasking ability, are simply shifting quickly from one single thought to another, to another. Mind you, I’m not pretending to understand the intriguing mysteries of the female mind. I’m just repeating the research.
It seems that even you ladies, who can stand interruptions, distractions and group discussions that would give me a panic attack, are simply shifting channels faster than my one track mind. Which is surprising, considering what I do with a remote control.
Be that as it may . . .
Thinking only one thing means we only need one reason, for getting up, for working, for surviving. Needing only one reason turns out to be a great thing. Because during a crisis it’s difficult to think at all. Hormones, adrenaline and fear can grind the most brilliant mind to a halt.
When things are at their worst and we’re not at our best, thinking only one thing is a God send. It’s not the time for a convoluted theological discussion or a treatise on prevailing scientific consensus. We don’t have time to study physics or learn a new language.
We need to keep it simple. We need to find one thing to hang on to, a reason to go on, a thought that can get us out of bed to confront the difficulties.
What’s the thing? It’s different for everyone. It can even change over time. It just has to get you out of yourself and get you going. Maybe it’s your children. Maybe it’s something you have to do. Maybe it’s a loved one. It could be a mission you haven’t completed. Or possibly someone you need to take care of. Or righteous indignation that demands justice. Or faith in God.
The point is to have a reason to keep going, to do the hard thing, to never ever quit. When you find your reason you will also find that you are stronger than you think. You will find that you can do more than you imagined.
So, what’s your thing?
I total agree with you, but its very difficult for someone to just thing of one thing in his intire life. A man is naturally created to be a creativ Human being, to interact with many ideas. We have been given the ability to creat and who says create must thing not on 1 but on many things to finally reach that point of being acreator.
Excellent point. I didn’t mean to say that only one single thing can get you through difficulties – just one thing at a time. Being creative about finding the encouragement we need is what this site is all about. Keep checking back and I’ll keep trying to be creative!