From Force to Flow with a "Visit"
What do you do when you struggle to engage? In this episode of Rhythms of Focus, we explore how wandering minds-especially those with ADHD-can find a gentler, more sustainable path to meaningful productivity.We'll explore a "Visit" as a unit of work, a simple, agency-enhancing practice that transforms focus from a battle into a series of mindful, approachable steps.In this episode, you’ll learn:- Why honoring your mind’s natural rhythms can unlock creativity and reduce overwhelm- How the “visit” approach helps you engage with work through curiosity, not force- Practical ways to build momentum and agency-one gentle step at a timeKey takeaways:- Try a “visit”: Show up for a task, even for just a deep breath, and decide your next step from there- Use rhythm, not rigidity: Let daily, mindful visits build sustainable progressPlus, enjoy a piano performance of Beethoven's Sonata number 14, second movement, a result of a series of visits.Subscribe for more at rhythmsoffocus.comLinks • Waves of Focus: Guiding the Wandering MindKeywords#ADHD #WanderingMinds #MindfulProductivity #Agency #GentleFocus #CreativeMomentum #VisitMethod #Neurodiversity #RhythmOverRigidity #SelfCompassionTranscriptIs a wandering mind really about a lack of discipline? What if it's instead more about being deeply attuned to the present moment, experiencing The Now with vivid intensity? When we see it that way, we might be more inclined to honor our mind's, natural rhythms rather than fight them. We might then be able to connect with a kinder, more effective approach to guiding our focus. One tool that I suggest in helping to do this is called a Visit.The Now and the Not NowToday's episode begins with a common joke in the ADHD community. It goes something like this. There are only two forms of time, the Now and the Not Now. That's the joke. I do think it's funny. This exists and everything else doesn't.But this insight, captures really the deepest truth of the issue at hand.This is the source of the river, the beginning of the story for many wandering minds. We have this magnified view of the present moment, the Now vivid, urgent, demanding attention. Meanwhile, this Not Now, whether it's next week's deadline or tomorrow's grocery list or something that's off in the past, these can feel mythical.Magnified AwarenessImagine looking through a magnifying lens. At its center, everything is vivid and detailed, but then the edges blur into this obscurity. This magnified mind works similarly, not in space though, but in awareness. We amplify the Now, making it rich and intense. While the Not Now --future plans, past commitments, meanings outside of our current awareness-- these fade into this distant haze. This heightened focus can be both a gift and a challenge. On the one hand, it allows for deep engagement and creativity. While on the other, it can make navigating daily life feel overwhelming. Imagine walking around with magnifying lenses over your eyes all day. This magnified awareness can be the centerpiece of a wandering mind's beauties and troubles.There are many ways that a magnified awareness can lead to so much of what we see, and I'm sure I'll get into several of these in future episodes. For the moment though, I'd like to highlight that our emotions themselves are huge. The emotions of worry of, "I don't wanna" of, "I'd really rather do that"- all of them in this massive size- become consuming.They become our worlds. The feeling of working against them, such as when some important task is projecting dread, or even the difficulty of transition from one state...