Focus Amid Chaos

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt

So far this year, I’ve been distracted. The focus I intended for my personal life and projects has taken an unintended detour. It’s my fault—I gave in to the loud voices in the news, the endless political posts online, and the reality of how things are changing. But scrolling endlessly, spending my attention on everything except my own work, isn’t helping. It just feeds the hungry social media machine.

I don’t want to ignore what’s happening in the world, but I also don’t want to lose myself in it. There’s a fine line between staying informed and being consumed, and I’ve let myself drift too far toward the latter. The truth is, no matter how much I read, watch, or debate, the world’s problems won’t pause while I figure out my own life.

It’s time to shift my focus back. Not to escape reality, but to protect my time, my attention, and the things that actually move my life forward.

One thing I’ve managed to stick with is writing a post every Friday. But I’ve come dangerously close to skipping it—opting instead for another podcast, another video. That’s not the way. Consumerism is a potent drug, and media consumption is no joke. It takes real discipline to step away.

For years, I’ve considered getting a dumbphone to cut back on social media and video apps. The only thing I truly need is reliable texting—maybe just a phone that supports Signal, which my family uses to stay in touch. Or perhaps I don’t need a dumbphone at all; maybe I just strip my iPhone down, removing every app that distracts me. But then again, the temptation to reinstall them is always just a few clicks away.

Paying attention to the world is important. We should all stay informed, engaged, and supportive of our communities. But the world is noisy. Politics, crises, and global events constantly pull at our attention. It’s easy to get swept up, to feel like we need to always be tuned in, reacting, engaging, debating.

I’ve had enough.

While the world churns, my projects remain. My work, my ideas, and the life I’m building—these don’t pause for the news cycle.

I’m not advocating ignorance. I care deeply about what happens in the world. But I also recognize that drowning in every headline won’t change much. What I can control is what I create, how I spend my time, and how I show up for the people around me.

As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” That’s the balance I strive for: staying informed but not consumed, engaged but not distracted. The world will always be chaotic. My responsibility is to keep moving forward anyway.

Have an excellent weekend!