Postings in August decreased for two reasons both of which form the subplot of this blog. 1) waning interest, 2) distraction.
Maintaining intense focus is my goal, having spent 60 years somewhat scattered in my interests. My trail of "un-dones" is testimony to my propensity for waning interest. This baffles me. I wish I knew why I find it so hard to stick to projects. Does the synaptic magnetism wear off? Is there a pill I can take to increase synaptic stickiness? Do I blame boredom on bad chemicals or bad character?
Getting distracted could be explained as follows: a brain gets pulled away from current projects by new projects with stronger magnetic pull. In August I've been distracted by selling a piano, pulling weeds, home repairs, visiting Vicki in her tragic decline, gearing up to sell this house, schmoozing with my guy pals, reading adrenaline pumping books (Righteous Mind, Fooled by Randomness, Thinking Fast and Slow, The Happiness Hypothesis, Platform, The Christian Agnostic, The Examined Life [by an author new to me, Robert Nozick], Screwtape Letters), watching a TV series on DVD my son the cop recommended, and mediating conflicts for clients.
To regain focus I've got two options: remove the distractions (decrease their magnetism), or re-ignite interest (by increasing the magnetism of current projects). If I could figure out how to do this I'd win a Nobel Prize. I once vowed to quit buying new books to "force" myself to finish the ones I had, I cancelled my New Yorker subscription, and tried to starve myself of new thoughts thus requiring me to relish the old ones. I failed.
Even now, I'm drawn to mow my lawn in the cool of the morning since 90 degree weather is predicted during which time mowing a lawn will be difficult. Life gets in the way of projects. Which is a conundrum of Ecclesiastes proportions. Repetition, dissatisfaction, competing desires, boredom, and the ebb and flow of changing interests are great mysteries.
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