Close Your Brain's Door For Focus. Here's How.

Do you have a bouncer? A sign on the door?
Wait– do you even have a door?

I imagine that your house has a front door. It probably locks, too. Fancy!

I bet you don’t let anyone just come in. School fundraiser? Maybe I’ll donate but you’re not invited in. “Can I talk to you for a minute about Jesus?” doesn’t get invited in. And if you can plan it right, the UPS guy might ring the bell and just leave the package without even needing any sort of interaction.

Our house is our own personal sacred and private space. Who we choose to let in matters because anyone inside is invading our space.

It’s easy to think about the barrier of a door to guard the entrance of a physical space.
But what about the entrance of our mental space?
If our mind is a house, most of us have an open door policy. Anyone that wants to come in can just approach the house and walk right in.

20% off that store you go to once a year! 

Hear about your coworkers’ weekend and dating issues. 

Hey check out this link. 

Did you hear what crazy thing the president said about something you don’t care about?

We let ‘em in and let them take up space in our mind. Uninvited and overstaying their welcome.

Our mind is worth protecting. Our house has valuables and our space is limited.

What would it look like to have a closed door? To put a note on that door and say “please leave deliveries for me here. I’ll be home later to pick them up.”

What would a metaphorical sock on the doorknob indicate? “Please don’t disturb me, I’m doing important things and you’ll ruin the mood if you walk in.”

What might it feel like to have a bouncer? “Sorry you’re not important enough to just walk right in. You’ll have to wait in line. The VIPs are inside, but you? Sales email and social IM? You’ll have to wait and pay a cover.”

When I grew up, my dad put a “no solicitors” sign on our door. Don’t even ring the doorbell. You’re not worth interrupting our dinner or family time to hear about a magazine or box of cookies.

It’s your mind.

It’s your house.

Do you have an open door policy and easy access in? Maybe it’s time to close that door and put up a sign. You protect your house and lock your door. Why not protect your mind, too?

Concept for a Caveday enamel pin.

Note: This concept is adapted from meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg

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