focus

Sometimes I am so focused on a task that anything unrelated to that task is completely lost on me -- conversations, appointments, breathing. This is both a good and a bad thing. Good because when I'm focused on something, I can really get things done. Bad because I lose all flexibility to think outside of what I'm doing.

This has bit me in the ass on several occasions recently.

In my current role, I am managing the development efforts for a pretty big project. This is my first role as a project manager and has been an enormous learning experience for me. Anyway, one quality of a good manager is being able to think and react quickly to any number of challenges that arise throughout the day. If I'm super-focused on a specific task or mindset, I become less effective in responding to the issue at hand.

And that leads me to yet another challenge: how to balance focus and determination in my task work with being open-minded and agile in handling the many issues that arise on a daily basis.