This time of year is always hectic. If I didn't say that every few weeks, I would almost think it was exceptional. In truth though - every time of year is hectic - and we must count our blessings for that because hectic pays the bills.
I will be the first person to admit that I enjoy being manically busy, however I have to remind myself time and time again that busy and productive are not the same things. Sometimes you need a moment to sit back and... focus.
Modern technology has made it possible to not really focus on anything at any one time. You can watch the TV whilst texting and browsing Facebook. You can have Buzzfeed open on a hidden tab at work. It has become completely socially acceptable to scroll through Twitter whilst having a conversation with someone else. When did we stop giving our attention to one thing at a time and doing it properly?
In no area of life does this become more of an issue than when trying to sit down and memorise scores. I often will try and squeeze fifteen minutes in while I'm making my packed lunch, or as I walk to the tube after a day at School. If I learn anything at all, it is at about a quarter of my usual speed and often with remarkably less accuracy. Furthermore, I make far nicer sandwiches if I just focus on the task at hand.
Here comes the big "But"...
"I don't have time to sit down and just focus on memorising scores" - almost every day I have this tantrum, like a child who doesn't want to go to school. And every day I have to look in the mirror and tell myself that I am going to make time. There might only be 24 hours in a day, but you are the only person who can control how you use them (unless you have a dog or children, but that joy is yet to come...)
Focus is not just important for work. I have found everything to be more rewarding; from watching TV, to having lunch with friends when I am in the moment and away from my screen. It is often not possible in this fast-paced world we live in, but an hour each day to exist in the moment is a luxury I would gladly pursue - however impossible it may sometimes seem.