KEEPING YOUR EYES TIGHT: 5 things to pay attention to so you can know what matters (660 words, 2.5 minute read)

Corey Warren is one of the all-time great football players at Oklahoma University. Corey was voted to the all-decade team, ranks 13th in receiving yards and touchdowns as a wide receiver, and was named captain his senior year. I work with Corey. He is a football and girls basketball coach, and passionate about using sports to impact young people. 

Recently,  I saw Corey keeping the scorebook for a J.V. boys basketball game, an unusual task for Corey. I asked him why he was spending his time 'keeping the book' and his response was amazing. 

'It helps me keep my eyes tight.' 

Corey knows that part of being a great coach is knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore. Tracking stats during an athletic event can be overwhelming a first. The action moves fast and each time you put your head down to mark something, three new things you should've tracked happen. Soon, you know what to pay attention to, what to ignore, and when to write it all down. Your eyes get tight on what you are looking at. 

'Keeping your eyes tight' 

We live in distracted times filled with a relentless flow of information. It feels impossible to know what to pay attention to, what to ignore, and how to respond to it all. How do we keep our eyes tight? Here are five things to pay attention to so you can discern what matters. 

LISTENING TO YOURSELF VS TALKING TO YOURSELF - Author, Craig Groeschel, identified the toxicity of listening to our inner voice when he stated, '...my inner voice always screams.' When was the last time you saw a rational person screaming? Our inner voice is never rational. It always thinks the worst about everything. Don't listen to yourself. Talk truth to yourself. Keep your eyes tight on your screaming inner voice. 

WINNING VS LOSING - Social media has rushed us into becoming a society full of zero-sum thinkers. We almost instinctively assume that if we see someone winning we must be losing. We begin to want to win to prove to others that they are losing. This is toxic thinking and it is not valid. Keep your eyes tight on zero-sum thinking. 

PRODUCTION VS CONSUMPTION - Our society is fueled by consumption, but we are not made to only consume. We are made to consume just enough to fuel our production. The most fulfilling experiences are when we have produced something good. Whether it is producing an amazing presentation at work, or mowing the lawn on the weekends, production is always good. Keep your eyes tight on your production-to-consumption ratio. 

REST VS FREE TIME - Gone are the days of celebrating the grind 24/7 *or they should be gone*. We need to rest. But, our societal understandings always swing from one extreme to another on topics like this. We go from 'on the grind 7 days per week' to wanting to do nothing for days at a time. Do not make all of your free time about rest. Your free time needs to be somewhat filled with productivity activities that you can't get done when working. Keep your eyes tight on how valuable your free time is to producing things of value. 

DESERVE VS EARNED - This is a tough one that will make some bristle. We live in a free society with a 'bill of rights' that we rightfully cling to. I believe in those things. But, I see and read too many that take this sense of what are our rights too far. Part of living in a free society is the opportunity to earn what you get. Keep your eyes tight on the word 'deserve' because many of the most important things you get in life will be achieved, not deserved. 

Keep on, keepin' on, friends!

Want to go deeper on this topic? Consider reading 'The War in Your Mind' by Craig Groeschel, 'So Good They Can't Ignore' and 'Deep Work' by Cal Newport. 

‘Bite Down and Don’t Let Go’ is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here.

Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart and they have three teen age children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for all sorts of inspirational thoughts and good laughs.