• image.alt
  • With Mayo Clinic oncologist

    Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

    read biography

Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer
  • Stress blog

  • Oct. 17, 2009

    When the pressure is on, stay focused

    By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

5 comments posted

Over the weekend, my wife and I had dinner with a couple with whom we are very close. The woman is a prominent member of the business community who has been invited to participate in a blue ribbon meeting in Italy next week. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and will be a tremendous asset for her business.

Need more help?

If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away.

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
    1-800-273-TALK (8255)
  • Go to the nearest hospital or emergency room
  • Call your physician, health provider or clergy
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness
    www.nami.org
    1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

In preparation for her trip, she's deliberately scaled back her business responsibilities and curtailed her evening commitments. She's invested the time in mentally preparing for the trip, as well as taking care of details such as packing, getting a passport and finalizing her itinerary. In other words, she eliminated distractions and focused on maximizing the experience.

Where else do we see this kind of focus? In sports. Baseball players grind through over 160 games during their season, which starts in April. When the playoffs ensue in October, every pitch is crucial. One of the most high-pressure positions is the "closer" — the pitcher who comes in to save the game. The closer has no room for error. He faces only a few batters. Either he saves the game or he blows it. The successful closer — like our friend the businesswoman — has the ability to focus on the task at hand and to eliminate distractions.

For me, the lesson is this: When we have an important commitment or responsibility on our plate, we must eliminate the nuisances that drive us crazy and focus our energies and our passions on getting the job done.

What do others think? Can you provide additional insights and clarity on the issue of focus?

5 comments posted

blog index

MY01015

Oct. 17, 2009

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


Text Size: smaller largerlarger