By the time Friday hits, our brains are usually fried. We’ve spent five days zooming in—on spreadsheets, on word counts, on emails, on problems that needed immediate solving. We are conditioned to think that “Focus” means intensity. It means furrowing your brow and staring at the obstacle until it moves.
But look at these photos. This is what real focus looks like to me lately.
The Golden Hour Reset
There is a specific kind of clarity you get when you step away from the work and just stand in the light. Photographers call it “Golden Hour”—that brief window where everything looks softer and warmer.
In the first shot, I’m stretching it out. It’s physical relief.
In the second, I’m just looking out. It’s mental relief.
Blurring the Edges
Sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is to stop looking at it directly. I’ve found that my best ideas for my books (or even for these captions) don’t come when I’m forcing them out at my desk. They come in moments like this—when the sun is hitting my face and I’m letting my mind wander.
We call it “Focus Friday,” but maybe we should call it “Defocus Friday.”
Give yourself permission to blur the edges today. Step outside. Look at the horizon instead of your phone. Let the intensity drop. You’ll be surprised at how much clearer everything looks when you come back.
The Weekend Strategy
So here is my challenge for you: Don’t white-knuckle your way to 5:00 PM. Take ten minutes, find a patch of sun, and just breathe. The work will still be there, but you’ll be better equipped to handle it.
-Zachary Starr
P.S. A Reason to Smile
We are heading into the weekend, and I want to remind you that we still have a chance to change someone’s life. Christopher is still waiting on his new smile. If you’ve found value in the “Starr-Verse” this week, consider throwing a few dollars toward his surgery fund. Let’s help him find his own golden hour.
[Link to GoFundMe]
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