our most valuable resource

the question came to me recently, "what is worth giving my best attention to?"  and my next question came right on the heels of the first, "if my attention is not my most valuable resource, then why is everything vying for it?"  

i don't have to be distracted.

i get to choose what i give my best and full attention to.

here's an example:  you receive a customer email.  you respond to the customer email.  a coworker crosses the office to ask you in person if you've gotten their instant message about their email to you to see if you've answered the customer email yet (i am not making this up). 

so in my case because this really happened, i tell them that yes, in fact, i've already responded to the customer and that i've not yet seen their messages because i am working on the project i've been given. 

there is intonation implied that i need to set up more and faster notifications across all platforms (pings and dings and bouncing little icons) which would total about 12 if you count the text alerts that automatically populate to both of my email inboxes from any missed calls or voicemails).  

i respond kindly and simply that if i'm constantly distracted, then i'm not actually doing my job.  

it's important to respond to both staff and customers in a timely fashion.  but when does it cross the line into distraction?  

similarly, it's important to know what's going on in the world in which we live, but at what point does it steal our best and, in my opinion, most valuable asset?

so i sighed deeply and happily when i saw a cover in a bookstore yesterday to the tune of "the slow productivity" movement.  intentionality.  doing things well.  working from a place of not being pulled in millions of directions or needing to be constantly stressed to look "productive".  i love work by its true definition and can be highly satisfying to our sense of human purpose; a day well done, energy well spent.  

goodness.  truth.  beauty.  humor.  humans.  creation.  art.  music.  letter writing.  these are a few of my top answers.  what i consume becomes part of me and comes out in my conversations, attitude, and creativity.  

to what and to whom will you give your best and full attention?