Habitual Myopia

Do you know people who are obsessive? Or have difficulty letting “it” go?  People who focus on one thing and completely miss out on the bigger picture in the process?  Sadly, I’ve seen this trait in many over the years. It can be debilitating.

Truth be known, I suffer from this affliction. It usually plays out in one of two ways. In the first scenario I find myself preoccupied by a detail I want to change – fixated to the extent that I am unable to move on. It’s a perfectionist tendency I wish I didn’t have. In the other situation I get so overwhelmed with tasks that I solely focus on extinguishing whatever fire is in front of me, unable to organize or prioritize. 

I feel certain I’m not alone in this second type of obsessiveness. As life throws more at us, we jump from task-to-task in survival mode. The result? Habitual Myopia – meaning we develop autopilot rituals of just dealing with the immediate issue at hand, burning the candle at both ends, and internalizing large amounts of stress in the process.

My suggestion? Don’t let external stress become your internal norm. Find time each week to step away from the madness and engage in activities you want to do, rather than have to do. I’m confident that when you regularly get off the hamster wheel of checking off your “to do” list, you will be better able to slow down and gain a healthier perspective. And that’s a good thing – for all of us.