Every now and then, I have to remind myself to do one thing at a time.
The tendency to try to do a whole bunch of things seems to be a natural result of my wanting to get everything done as soon as I can. Many browser tabs open, switching between one thing and the next, endlessly, endlessly.
No wonder I can never focus.
Then I remember to do one thing at a time, and it’s like coming home.
I close all my browser tabs (bookmarking them first, so I can come back to them). I close my email and chat apps. I close everything.
Then I pick one thing, and I just do that.
Just read one article, with my full attention.
Open a full-screen writing app, and just write (as I’m doing now).
Just listen to something, with nothing else open. Just watch one video.
Just respond to one message, as if it’s the only conversation in the universe that matters.
Just wash one dish. Just eat one bite. Just brush my teeth, or wash my hands, or walk without stimulation. Just exercise.
One thing at a time.
Each one fills up my entire world, as if nothing else exists.
Each thing becomes everything.
It becomes practice in mindfulness. In being fully there. In letting go.
In being fully appreciative of what’s right in front of me. Falling in love with that thing, this gift I’ve been given.
Leo Babauta is the author of six books, the writer of Zen Habits, a blog with over 2 million subscribers, and the creator of several online programs to help you master your habits. Visit ZenHabits.net
