Prompt: Write about what pulls your focus away.
Okay, the prompt for today, June 11, 2026, is: write about what pulls your focus away.
Well, first, I don’t know if this is really pulling my focus away, but in terms of me getting things done and working on my own projects, there’s Emi, our daughter. But she’s not pulling my focus away. She’s my primary focus, and everything else has sort of become secondary to that.
Actually, no, I don’t think that’s quite right.
One thing I am finding is that all of the projects I want to do no longer have the same amount of time available to them as they did before. Sitting down for six hours in my office and just running through ideas isn’t really possible anymore. Everything has to be mapped out, planned, or broken down into smaller steps.
One thing I’ve really had to learn how to do is break tasks down and then complete them over what feels like a very long time.
Before, I could design an idea in my head, send it to the 3D printer, wake up the next morning, and have it ready. Now I might start a design, then have to go feed Emi, change her, pick her up, or do any number of things, and then come back to it later. Eventually, I’ve got to go to sleep too. Sometimes I find that I’m simply not available to work on it.
I don’t think that’s really pulling my focus away, though.
In a strange way, I think one of the things Emi has done is given me time. When I’m putting her to bed or sitting with her while she’s settling down, I find it’s time for me to think too. It’s a very peaceful time. I find myself being calmer. So I wouldn’t really call it a distraction. It’s an interesting distraction, maybe, but I don’t think that’s what it is.
I think my bigger issue is social media and the feelings I get about my own capacity and ability after watching what other people are doing.
I don’t know that it’s social media itself, but there are so many things coming at me so quickly, and I’m so drawn to it because of the dopamine. My brain is fried. There are so many ideas, techniques, projects, and possibilities that I lose sight of what I want to achieve, what I want to make, and how to go about it.
I think I go to social media looking for ideas. I go there looking for techniques. But I don’t know that it’s serving me particularly well.
I think often the best kind of learning is simply doing the thing and getting it wrong.
I also think I would probably do well to pick up a book or take a course or something more structured. But I can be a little cheap at times, and YouTube is free.
So there’s that.
I think, more than anything else, my brain feels scattered.
You can find this prompt and many more at Letters’ Lounge, www.letterslounge.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this prompt or any of the others. Feel free to leave a link to your blog, audio journal, or simply share your thoughts in the comments.
All right, folks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
This transcript was lightly cleaned up with the help of AI to improve readability while preserving the original voice and intent of the recording.
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