Pursuing a Life of Single-Mindedness
The Greek word for “anxiety” is merimnaō, which means to be divided or distracted. Leaders today face so many external and internal disruptions that anxiety, by the Greek definition, is nearly unavoidable. Anxiety depletes energy and confidence and makes courageous decisions difficult. One way to minimize anxiety is to pursue the opposite of division and distraction: single-mindedness.
Wednesday mornings I wake up early enough to exercise in my basement. So last Wednesday at 5:30am, I made my way down to the basement… but I was restless. My mind was unsettled and I felt adrenaline pumping through my body. I stopped and stood quietly in the middle of our kitchen staring into the dark. I sensed I needed to deviate from the routine and not exercise. I grabbed my journal and my Bible and I just sat and meditated. I mentally walked away from the day’s circumstances and I reflected on that which has most lasting importance to me – my faith…. Later that day, I found myself sitting with a friend after work, listening to him talk about his life falling apart. My morning meditation had helped me to process this interaction in the context of my faith, which surfaced a prompting to pray for him. My first reaction was, “Praying for him would be awkward. Praying out loud can be weird and he might be offended.” But those fears were overpowered by my single-mindedness that had been strengthened that morning – my God is bigger than circumstances and can help this friend. So we ignored religious differences and social norms and I prayed… it was a moment of authenticity and connecting. And this small event strengthened my resolve to stay focused on that which matters most to me.
That day affirmed the value of single-mindedness to reduce anxiety and be a stronger leader. We can improve our ability to do this when we:
1. Have a single-minded purpose. Author Jim Collins points out that organizations last longer, people live longer and leaders inspire others when they have a clear raison d’ etre. As humans, we are wired for purpose above all else.
2. Talk to your heart. As Tim Keller says, “You can talk to your heart or listen to your heart.” Our hearts desire purpose and lasting value though our hearts are also conditioned to fear the unknown. We need to consciously remind ourselves of our purpose to move courageously past our fears.
3. Prioritize purpose-driven activities. In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says, “Don’t confuse activity with productivity.” When we are busy and active, it’s easy for us to become distracted by all of the demands on our time and forget about what really matters.
4. Listen to the restlessness. I knew when I walked through the kitchen last Wednesday that I wasn’t ready for the day. I’m tempted to medicate the restlessness through exercise, work and distraction though I remembered that morning that it’s worth it to stop and re-calibrate to what matters most.
How can you stay focused on what matters most to you?
Comments are closed here.