Focus

The ability to commit, to focus on what matters. Commitment is not punishment; commitment focuses on what matters to you.

PS: I got kicked out of the aquarium for grabbing a starfish like a toy plane

Commitment Issues

Too many options; the more options we have, the less satisfied we are—the paradox of choice. The internet, especially social media, made it worse. The options to spend your time are endless. I’ve been there, scrolling and not satisfied with what I’m watching or doing. You always feel like there’s something better to do.

For many, it’s a mix of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. At the end, it’s all meaningless; nothing ends up satisfying us. We feel as though if we commit or ignore everything else, we’ll miss out. We call that FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

I’ve met few who don’t use social media, or hardly use it, but they still suffer the paradox of choice. It’s either in their relationship, what degree they’re pursuing, their job, and as simple as what they buy at the grocery store. They don’t commit because they’ve been brainwashed into thinking there is always something better. That they are special and thus deserve more. This way of thinking is a disease. I’ve believed this thinking for a long time; I thought I was “special.”

What to Focus On?

This isn’t so simple; there is no straightforward answer. In all honesty, to find what you are willing to commit to, you must embrace and explore. From it, you’ll find what you love and are passionate about. Then comes shiny object syndrome: everything becomes unique. You find out that there is always more, and you begin to have commitment issues once again. Do not see this as failure; rather, it could be a sign you haven’t found what you want yet. Then there are those few things that make us go “wow,” it’s like a child trying sugar for the first time. Explore; go down the rabbit hole.

Humans are designed to improve and never be satisfied with what we already have. It’s a survival mechanism in our caveman brain. This mechanism has made our species succeed. Today we live in the modern world, mastery in one area is impactful. All those people you see on social media are that 1%. Those who have focused so much on one specific thing that it becomes impossible to not be noticed.

Commitment

Discover what you most enjoy; remember, the more options you have, the less satisfied you are. At some point, you’ll feel as if committing is not worth it. You might not be good at what you chose; you might not even like it. You can only improve what you are willing to focus on. No one picks up a guitar and is magically better than Elvis Presley.

The best things in life come from long commitment. Always be willing to learn and improve, even if it’s 1% at a time. Trust me, it sucks; it’s a slow and tedious process. Commit to those few goals, that one big dream, that one special person. Commitment is not giving up, it’s not a form of failure; commitment is choosing what truly matters to you.