I was in the back yard hitting the heavy bag today and it reminded me of the first time I ever sparred Muay Thai. After a couple months of training, I eventually got the chance to spar for the first time. It was the hardest thing I’ve done in recent memory. The adrenalin mixed with fear came together in a perfect cocktail to completely gas out my energy reserves within the first two minutes… let alone my will to fight. We sparred for 30 minutes – two minutes on one minute off. The most I could do was just survive the next round until the nightmare was over. It eventually ended.
A few days later I was trying to figure out how I was so lost and inexplicably defenseless and offenseless. I then realized that I was trying to multitask while I was in the ring. I was applying rudimentary knowledge of 10 different things at once when I needed to be focusing on one thing… not getting kicked in the face. Period! As I kept sparring, I slowly evolved solutions to smaller problems in the moment that were immediately at hand instead of attempting everything I’d ever learned all at once. Improve upon what is in front of you. What’s most readily available?
Solve the problem. It’s in the monotasking, not the multitasking. Multitasking is bullshit. It’s a fad. They thought it was a good idea in the 90’s but they also thought fanny packs, furbies, saggy pants and the Macarena were cool too. We only have 100% focus. Once you split that focus it doesn’t break off into two 100% sections. It’s cut in half. Half the focus. Half the awareness. Half the energy being put into a task. Texting and driving is multitasking… how’s that working out? Thinking about what you’re going to have for dinner while a friend pours their heart out to you is multitasking… pretty cool.
Everything we do matters and is connected to our big picture and how it’s going to play out. Monotask always. One focused deliberate job at a time no matter how small it is. Do what you’re doing. Don’t split the focus. If you’re gonna clean the kitchen, clean it like a goddam champion.
