Rhythms of Focus

• 33. An Overview of the 8 Gears of Focus

  Discover eight distinct “gears” of focus—stages we moves through, from simply being, to considering, approaching, and ultimately performing at our best. Honoring each gear transforms frustration and procrastination into creative flow and agency. Drawing parallels to music, emotional waves, and mindful play, this episode invites listeners to see hard work not as a battle, but as a dance with emotion, context, and self-compassion.Learn to recognize and move through all eight "gears" of focus, from daydreaming to performingEvery episode features an original piano composition—this time, enjoy “On a Dare” in C minor. Subscribe and find more mindful productivity resources at rhythmsoffocus.com—because your rhythm matters more than rigid rules.Hashtags#ADHD #WanderingMinds #MindfulProductivity #FocusStrategies #Agency #Creativity #EmotionalWaves #RhythmNotRules #GentleSelfMastery #PianoAndFocusTranscript Sometimes we could just fall right into a project, pick it up, and bam, we're in it. Even when we hit a bump here and there, we can make it through sailing. Other times, sometimes even with the same project, just on some other day, a sense of revulsion can just emanate from it.Or maybe we barely consider, it doesn't even come to mind, or maybe we start to ruminate about it. Keeps coming to mind and we think, Ugh, I really have to figure that one out. Meanwhile, the deadline creeps along until it crosses that threshold where we finally kick into gear. In either case, whether we're enjoying something or we're trying to avoid it, we go through many of the same steps, and when we know them, we can start to more deliberately take on the things that are difficult or have that, "I don't wanna" cloud around it. I in fact, count eight different gears in which we can engage something, what I call eight gears of focus.In a Plane with a BookHave you ever been on an airplane or some enclosed space? Where you didn't have wifi or minimal distractions, but you do have a book. I imagine somewhere in your life you've been in something of the situation. What happened?You may well have started to read. Not only that may have even started to get into it and then wondered,Why can't I always do this?Somewhere in here you might think you were forced to read 'cause that's all you could do, but I'd suggest that's not really what's happening. In fact, what's happening is that we're supported by the zeroth gear of focus.There are eight gears of focus that I count starting with this zeroth gear.When we're good at something, we naturally move back and forth through these gears. Shifting is needed without even thinking about it. Sometimes we support them, sometimes we ignore them and get into a lot of trouble. It's when we get into difficult matters where things really throw us off.We lose sight of these gears, or we don't even feel them as we naturally progress through them. And that's where we can get into a lot of trouble, like habits that don't take hold and projects that are never followed through.So today I thought I'd outline these gears.They're, uh, an important part of the waves of focus course that I've put together for those with wandering minds, ADHD, and beyond. But I think we go through all of these gears, regardless of neurology. See I have this theory that hard work is emotional work. Complex work requires the management of overwhelm. Even physically threatening work like being a firefighter requires the management of fear. Logic itself is a flow of play through seeking and understanding.Emotion, and at least the definition I use is that which crests into consciousness, whether by caress or crash.Our focus is our means of choosing and riding one or some set of these emotional waves that are currently brushing into the hull of conscious awareness. And as these waves continue to

  --------  

  23:23

  --------

  23:23
• 32. Prelude to a Pause

  In this episode of "Rhythms of Focus," we consider distraction and stimulation. When our minds wander and the pull of the phone grows strong, we search for stimulation is actually a longing for real meaning and energy in what we do.Explore how our emotions shape the way we focus and why boredom so often pushes us toward escape. In pausing—noticing our feelings instead of avoiding them—we can find agency. Mindfully, we practice shifting from reactivity to a state where we can choose what feels truly right for each of us.Takeaways from this episode:Recognize what fuels the urge to distract ourselves and how to address it with understandingLearn a practical technique for pausing and noticing emotions to unlock a new sense of agencyDiscover how awareness can transform moments of discomfort into opportunities for meaningful actionThis episode features our original piano piece, “Prelude to an End,” to help anchor these reflections and support our mindful rhythm.Subscribe for more supportive conversations, and visit rhythmsoffocus.com to deepen your journey with us.Hashtags #ADHD #WanderingMinds #MindfulProductivity #Agency #EmotionalResilience #Creativity #FocusChallenges #Neurodivergent #IntentionalLiving #PianoMusic Trancript  "What if I did my weekly review? Oh, but I just gotta write that report. I'm a nails need clipping. I would rather go and do that. No. How about if I just, uh, yeah. Hopeless. But I think I just need a reset. Let's see what's on Instagram here."Three hours go by."Where did the day go? Oh my goodness, I had so much to do."     Getting lost in the day. The media politics, both grand and in the family, it's far too easy to lose our bearings. We might blame this sense in ourselves that we need stimulation. Whatever it is we're "supposed to do" is simply not stimulating enough. Might be quite boring, in fact, but what is that craving for stimulation?The word itself is so bland.We might say, well, I need something that's shiny or on fire as a client of mine would say. But even these are not enough to describe what this is.Stimulation, is this stand-in for a sense of vitality. We want to feel alive, some depth of meaning growing somewhere within us. All right, so how is that related to this infinite scrolling on our phones? Well, any number of emotions get touched off. Humor connects because it draws attention to something we haven't considered. Some surprise and discovery, some edge of society. Fear connects because it tells us to look over here at the risk of peril. Sex connects because the creative spirit in lust is just that powerful, this massive momentum carrying us through the ages.All of these emotions connect to some sense of meaning within ourselves.So how can a report possibly compete? We need stimulation again because we need something to feel real.Alright, so what the heck does this have to do with any form of productivity in whatever shape or form? Well, when we can acknowledge that the so-called need for stimulation is more truly about some need to feel alive, we can find a new direction.For example, let's say we're able in some rare moment to catch ourselves scrolling through the phone, wonder to ourselves, well, what am I doing? The initial impulse might be to say, how do I avoid this? How do I get out of this phone?Well, I'll try to do nothing. Well, that rarely works. Nature of which our minds are apart abhors a vacuum. That phone is easily reached for once again, the unconscious forces are powerful, much more so than that blip of consciousness with which we sail our lives and we ignore that power at our own peril.It's all too easy to just find ourselves in the phone, not realizing we were there. Another impulse might be,I'll try to do something. Anything else!Sometimes...

  --------  

  9:25

  --------

  9:25
• 31. It's Too Hard to Even Make It There - A Lean Into Challenge

  Feeling stuck—where even the simplest task feels too heavy to lift? In this episode, instead of chasing rigid productivity, listeners will discover the subtle art of finding ease within challenge, tuning into the rhythms of play, and learning how to gently move forward even when motivation wanes.Listeners will learn:How play, frustration, and challenge intertwine, illuminating gentler ways forwardPractical methods to surface and honor emotions that hinder focus, catalyzing growth through compassionTakeaways:Pause to reflect deeply before acting, creating space for authentic decisionsShrink tasks down to their smallest steps, inviting ease rather than pressureChannel rhythms of natural play into even the most stubborn work momentsThis episode features a performance of Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag. Subscribe and join our growing community at rhythmsoffocus.com—where wandering minds thrive along waves of agency and creativity.Keywords#ADHD #WanderingMinds #Agency #Mindfulness #GentleProductivity #PlayfulFocus #EmotionalEase #CreativeFlow #CompassionateGrowth #MicroActionsTranscript  All right. Let's see what I've got on my list here to do today. All right. Uh, visit the gym. Are you kidding me?  Sometimes the simplest things can feel like the heaviest weights. The simpler they are, the more paradoxically we "can't be bothered."Head to the garage, show up to the dishes, open the report- all of these can come with a wave of revulsion.How could we ever move forward?I often and continue to espouse a "visit" as a powerful unit of work. This idea of showing up to something or bringing it to ourselves and staying there for one single deep breath, and then making a decision as to what we wanna do, whether walk away or into the work.It is a powerful unit of work, but even so, it might still be too difficult to make it there, even with this idea of not having to do a thing.What then? I imagine there have been times that you've been here. Maybe someone kept bugging you, maybe a due date crept along far enough, or just yelled at yourself into this sort of painful, "just start" and you finally started going.But there are gentler paths and you may well have done those too.Take for example, how we already act when we are in play. When we enjoy something naturally, we might bump into frustrations, take stock of where we are, slow down, break things down, simplify things, find some ease once again, and finally return with that ease back into challenge. Dynamically, we tune to the windows of challenge for where we are in that moment.We find those places that are not so easy to be boring and not so intense as to be overwhelming.We can adapt the same process to difficult work, hard work, something we can also call emotional work, only by bringing the process to consciousness. The first and perhaps most important step is to pause, where we reflect without reacting, where we can connect to that deeper sense of self. It gives us that space to decide:" Maybe this isn't even a thing that is meaningful for me at all."But if we do decide to move forward. We can also sense in that pause where we rest in those emotions that we discover something hidden in the words that we've been using. The sort of, "I just don't wanna" sort of phrase, we might be saying to ourselves, we can discover this deep, complex, emotional world beneath those words.In that pause, we might see one such emotion that's contributing that of let's say, exhaustion. This consequence of repeated hits to our sense of agency, dropping, losing, forgetting things. We lose the sense of capability. Any attempt risks yet another injury as a fear of true inability would rear its ugly head in these clouds, choking us into collapse.Fully engaging these emotions, maybe even...

  --------  

  12:05

  --------

  12:05
• 30. The 4 Limits of Productivity

  Discover why your latest app or productivity hack is not the real hero—or the real challenge. In this episode of "Rhythms of Focus," we explore what truly lies beneath those endless quests for the perfect system, shining a compassionate light on wandering minds and ADHD.Listeners will uncover how recognizing and respecting four key limits—time, agency, working memory, and trust—is far more liberating than forcing themselves into rigid molds. Instead of battling against limitations, you’ll learn to use them as anchors for meaningful work and creative rhythm. This episode unpacks the seductive promise of productivity systems, the artistry of aligning attention with intention, and gentle strategies to transform overwhelm into empowered agency.Key takeaways:Honor time, agency, working memory, and trust as necessary boundaries that support creative flow.Replace shame and frustration with self-compassion—embracing playful mastery over strict discipline.Discover actionable ways to build a trusted, resilient productivity environment that fits a wandering mind.As always, enjoy an original piano composition woven into today’s episode, designed to nurture calm and focus.If this resonates, subscribe and visit rhythmsoffocus.com for more insights, resources, and episodes to help your unique rhythm thrive.Hashtags #ADHD #WanderingMinds #Agency #MindfulProductivity #FocusRhythms #CreativeFlow #WorkWithLimits #SelfCompassion #AttentionMastery #OriginalMusic TranscriptWhy won't the system work?! I found a new productivity app, let me tell you about, it's the greatest thing ever. Oh, did you hear about that productivity book by Mr. Awesome Sauce. It's the greatest thing ever. Fast forward two months, uh, another system down the drain. I can't do any of these.Maybe there's just something wrong with me. I can't seem to make any of these work. What's going on? I what? What if it's not the app? What if it's not the book? What if it's not ourselves? All right, where is it then? Maybe it's in something we still need to acknowledge the limits.Seduction of an AppThe promises of some productivity system can be powerfully seductive.The idea is that we'd get more done with less effort. Stay on top of it all. Everything's organized. Everything shows up exactly where we need it. Heck, I do have a system myself and I think it's pretty darn awesome. Lemme tell you, it's all shiny and new, but that may well crash too.Pushing Limits We often push limits.It's important to push limits. Play, this depth and breadth of flow between self and world discovery, question and tension- it's a vitality that once it finds root can be such an inspirational flow. The sap of mastery and meaningful work and relationships. We see it in the toddler in their focus while they're stacking blocks and we see it in the craft's master that has that same focus as they're in that deep reverie.Play pushes limits. We tend to think of limits as somehow enemies, or perhaps they're ever present challenges that must be dominated, broken through, if not destroyed.And we can see that as well between the toddler and the adult.Supportive EnvironmentsTo reach that place of being able to stack blocks, we have a sense that our environment can hold us, that it won't interrupt us without care or reason.That's somehow takes us and our being hood into account. Maybe we push one way or the other. We try to wander this way or that. But time and again, in ways we know and in many ways we don't, perhaps only feeling it as this gentle wave from some distant shore, we are supported, in being here and now.The craftsperson similarly has done the work themselves of establishing those things, the environment, whether appearing to be a chaotic mess or this pristine lining of tools and resources. Somehow...

  --------  

  15:33

  --------

  15:33
• 29. What if I break the chain?

  Break free from the tyranny of the unbroken streak—what if focus meant something deeper than chasing another checkmark? This episode of Rhythms of Focus invites wandering minds and adults with ADHD to let go of the pressure to “never miss a day,” discovering a kinder, rhythm-based approach to meaningful growth.In this episode, explore:- Why the “Don’t Break the Chain” habit method can create more anxiety and shame than mastery.- How shifting from scorekeeping to presence transforms habit-building from a rigid tally into a playful, mindful journey.- Practical strategies to reframe loss and missed days as part of life’s natural ebb and flow—fostering agency rather than guiltKey takeaways:- Learn why focusing on experience rather than streaks fosters real mastery and self-compassion.- Discover the three-part Daily Invite: decide, be, and act—without the weight of perfection.- Begin to view your habits as musical rhythms, not broken chains—open to improvisation, pauses, and creative renewal.This episode features an original piano composition, “Ascend,” reflecting the dance between struggle and growth. Subscribe for more gentle, empowering strategies, and visit rhythmsoffocus.com for resources tailored to creative, neurodivergent thinkers.### Hashtags:#ADHD #WanderingMinds #FocusRhythms #MindfulProductivity #GentleHabits #SelfCompassion #DailyInvite #CreativeGrowth #Agency #NeurodiversityMentioned in this episode:Join the Weekly Wind Down NewsletterThe Weekly Wind Down is an exploration of wandering minds, task and time management, and more importantly, how we find calmer focus and meaningful work.

  --------  

  10:59

  --------

  10:59

More Education podcasts

Trending Education podcasts

About Rhythms of Focus