Why Being Obsessed Might Be Worth More Than You Think
An obsession is defined as an idea or thing that someone cannot stop thinking about. From this definition, it seems like an obsession would be nothing but harmful. After all, how can you be productive if you can't stop thinking about one thing?
It turns out that there are actually quite a few benefits to being obsessed with your work. For one, it allows you to laser focus on your goals and achieve them more quickly. It also makes you more passionate and excited about your work, which can lead to better results.
So, if you're feeling guilty about being obsessed with your work, don't be. It might just be the key to your success.
Obsessive people get a bad rap. We're called neat freaks, control freaks, and workaholics. We're often seen as uptight, inflexible, and impossible to please.
But what if our obsessions are actually a good thing? What if they're the secret to our success?
stats show that obsessive people are more likely to achieve their goals. They're also more likely to be successful in their careers and to earn higher incomes.
So maybe it's time to embrace our obsessions and use them to our advantage. After all, being a little bit obsessive might just be the key to a successful and happy life.
1. Being obsessed means having a single-minded focus on one thing.
2. This focus can lead to greater levels of productivity and creativity.
3. An obsessiveness can also help you to become an expert in your field.
4. It can also make you more resilient and able to handle difficult challenges.
5. Being obsessed can also help you to better enjoy your life and find meaning in it.
6. On the downside, being obsessed can lead to problems if it becomes an all-consuming passion.
7. But overall, being obsessed might be worth more than you think.
1. Being obsessed means having a single-minded focus on one thing.
What does it mean to be obsessed? To be obsessed is to have a single-minded focus on one thing. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on what that focus is.
There are many benefits to having an obsession. For one, it can help you to become an expert in your field. When you are focused on one thing, you are able to learn more about it and become an expert in that area. This can be extremely useful in both your personal and professional life.
An obsession can also help you to achieve your goals. If you have a clear goal in mind, and you are focused on achieving it, you are more likely to be successful. This is because you are less likely to get sidetracked or give up when you encounter obstacles.
It can give your life purpose and meaning! When you are focused on one thing, and you get into that state of flow... is there anything better than that?? When I hit the state of flow, my life feels full of purpose! I actually get annoyed more often than not when I am pulled out of flow, and or I have to take care of my physical body and give it things like... sleep 😬 But as far as trying to find purpose and meaning, focusing on the things you are obsessed with can be especially helpful if you feel like you are going through a difficult time or you are feeling lost in life.
Of course, there can also be drawbacks to being obsessed. For example, it can be difficult to maintain healthy relationships when you are focused on one thing. It is also important to be aware of the line between healthy obsession and unhealthy obsession. When it becomes unhealthy, obsessions can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. So we have to be mindful of that, especially those of us with neurodivergent brains!
Overall, there are both benefits and drawbacks to being obsessed. It is important to weigh these before deciding whether or not being obsessed is right for you. (not me trying very hard to sound like a big pharma infomercial! 😂) *Results may vary. Good luck trying to consult your doctor when talking about your obsessions. Side effects may result in a grippy sock vacation.*
2. This focus can lead to greater levels of productivity and creativity.
In our society, we're often told that we need to focus on one thing and one thing only. That we need to find our purpose and put all of our effort into achieving it. And while there's definitely something to be said for that level of single-mindedness, there's also something to be said for being obsessed.
For example, let's say you're obsessed with becoming a world-renowned chef. You spend hours in the kitchen, perfecting your craft. You read cookbooks and watch cooking shows. You experiment with new recipes. You attend culinary school. You do whatever it takes to become the best chef you can be. Cooking isn't my thing, but hey! I'm trying to think outside of my box. I have several family members that are chefs/cooks and I envy them quite often! Chefs/cooks are a different breed of awesome.
Personally, water polo was my obsession for about 10 years, and once I didn't have that, my mental health took a nose dive. However, learning to draw and becoming obsessed lead to me creating a strategy, which has dramatically increased my skill levels and focus.
And yes, this focus can lead to greater levels of productivity and creativity. Because you're so focused on your goals, you're constantly pushing yourself to learn more and do more. You're always thinking about new ways to improve your skills. And as a result, you become more and more successful.
So if you're feeling a bit lost in life, or like you're not sure what you should be doing, don't be discouraged. It's ok to be obsessed with something. In fact, it might just be the key to your success. It took me a few years to find one that stuck, but before art it was crypto (I know...*cringe* but it worked for like three years!) and before that it was everything fishing! Lures, rods, reels, line, bait, etc. It was novice enough for my ADHD brain to latch onto and that pattern works for me.
Which is a suggestion I HIGHLY recommend! The more novice, the better!
3. An obsessiveness can also help you to become an expert in your field.
While obsession might have a bad reputation, that's only because we tend to call obsessions other names. For example: There are plenty of things in life that we can become obsessed with – our careers, our hobbies, our appearance, i.e. workaholic/entrepreneur, cosplayer/coach, fashion designer/influencer. They're all the same thing. People who have harnessed their obsessions.
But let's talk about why it can help you to become an expert in your field.
When you’re focused and driven to achieve a certain goal, you’re more likely to put in the time and effort to learn everything there is to know about it. This level of dedication can lead to becoming an authority in your area, which can in turn lead to success, fulfillment, and an overall sense of wellbeing.
Additionally, obsessing over something can help to improve your focus and concentration. And who doesn't want more of that? When you’re constantly thinking about and working towards a goal, you develop laser-like focus that can be useful in other areas of your life. If you can learn to channel that focus, you might be able to accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Of course, there is such a thing as being too obsessed with something. When obsession takes over your life to the point where it’s impacting your health, your relationships, or your ability to function normally, it’s a problem. For example, I have to be proactive and establish patterns. If I start to lose sleep or trade my new hyperfixation for quality time with my wife, my little brother or my dogs... I have to take a step back and re-evaluate. I give myself plenty of time to ride the train down the rabbit holes of all kinds of subjects, but when I do that, I also make sure that I am kind to myself if I chose that instead of something else I wanted to do.
It's all about balance and allowing yourself to bounce back and forth. There in lies the wisdom that you can offer as an expert. Giving those nuggets of info from your own experiences on the subject and also being able to say things like "I went down the rabbit hole so you don't have to!"
4. It can also make you more resilient and able to handle difficult challenges.
When you're obsessed with something, you can't help but think about it constantly. It's all you can think about and you just can't get it out of your head. Some may even call this: overthinking.
Sure, being obsessed can be a bit much. It can make you fixate on one thing to the exclusion of everything else. But it can also make you more resilient and able to handle difficult challenges.
When you're obsessed with something, you're constantly thinking about it and trying to find ways to improve. You're never satisfied with where you're at and you're always looking for ways to do better. Which also means that you are solution oriented.
https://images.app.goo.gl/WRYUCkLvFuLM4iiWA
This means that you're constantly challenging yourself and pushing yourself to your limits. Again, the warning here is to make sure that you are staying proactive. Leaving water bottles that trigger your brain to drink and stay hydrated, keeping snacks and sustenance close enough so that you don't have to stop and can keep going, etc.
This tenacity and determination can be a major asset when you're facing difficult challenges. You're not the type of person to give up easily and you're always looking for ways to overcome whatever obstacle is in your way. Think, great in a crisis, but if you have a strategy to stay sane, safe, and have time to recover, then there can be some great benefits to this mindset.
So, next time you find yourself obsessing over something, don't try to suppress it. Embrace it and let it motivate you to achieve great things.
5. Being obsessed can also help you to better enjoy your life, aka, geek out
There are all sorts of different obsessions that people can have in life. Some people become obsessed with a certain celebrity or sports team, while others become obsessed with a hobby or activity, movies/tv shows. Some people might even become obsessed with another person. Whatever the obsession may be, there are both positive and negative aspects to it.
On the positive side, being obsessed with something can help you to better enjoy your life. When you are obsessed with something, you invest a lot of time and energy into it. This can help you to feel more fulfilled and to find more meaning in your life. It can also help you to feel more connected to something larger than yourself. Having a community that is obsessed with the thing you are also obsessed with... there's not a whole lot of things that feel better than that.
On the negative side, being obsessed with something can also be harmful. When you become too obsessed, you might start to neglect other important aspects of your life. You might also become fixated on perfection and lose sight of what is truly important to you. This can look like addiction, co-dependency, and loneliness. These have the potential to ruin your life, so if you feel like your obsession is entering the yellow or red zones, please reach out for help! Sometimes just talking about how you are slipping can help swing you back into the green zone. I am a big believer in acknowledging the problem is 90% of the battle. Sometimes making it real makes it easy to avoid or fix.
Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide whether or not their obsession is healthy or harmful. If you find that your obsession is starting to negatively impact your life, then it might be time to reassess your priorities. However, if you find that your obsession is enriching your life and helping you to find more meaning in it, then there is nothing wrong with that and may the force be with you!
7. But overall, being obsessed might be worth more than you think.
When it comes to obsessions, we usually think of them as negative things. We think of them as unhealthy, all-consuming thoughts or behaviours that take over our lives. And while it’s true that obsessions can definitely be negative and harmful, they can also be positive and helpful.
Here are seven ways in which being obsessed might be worth more than you think:
1. Obsessions can help us achieve our goals
If we’re obsessively focused on achieving a particular goal, it’s more likely that we’ll actually achieve it. This is because we’ll be putting all of our energy and effort into reaching that goal, and we won’t be sidetracked by other things.
2. Obsessions can make us more productive
When we’re obsessed with something, we’re usually more productive. This is because we’re so focused on what we’re doing that we don’t waste time on other things. We also tend to have more energy when we’re obsessed with something, so we can get more done in a shorter amount of time.
3. Obsessions can help us to learn new things
If we’re obsessed with learning about something new, we’re more likely to actually learn it. This is because we’ll be spending more time researching and studying it, and we’ll be more motivated to learn it.
4. Obsessions can make us more creative
When we’re consumed by an obsession, we often become more creative. This is because we’re looking at things from a different perspective and thinking outside the box. We’re also more likely to take risks when we’re obsessed with something, which can lead to more creative solutions.
5. Obsessions can help us to connect with others
If we’re obsessed with something, we’re often more likely to connect with others who are also obsessed with it. This is because we have something in common with them, and we can bond over our shared obsession. This can lead to deeper and more meaningful relationships.
6. Obsessions can help us to be happy
It might sounds counterintuitive, but obsessions can actually help us to be happy. This is because they can give us a sense of purpose and make us feel more connected to others. They can also help us to achieve our goals and make us more productive
A lot of that was so redundant but it was kind of on purpose. It was really me offering to be the one who gives you permission to just love what you love! Plan your days, weeks, years around getting into that state of flow.
Love what you want and often as you can! Your people will find you. Your solitude and peace will find you if you prefer that, but you're obsessed for a reason! If its harmful, find out why you want the chaos and what wounds you aren't addressing. If it's healthy, then "EVERYBODY MOVE!"
"Thank you Fezzik."
You only get so much time. You're never going to get it all done but wouldn't you rather get lost in the things you can't stop thinking about that make you happy then lose sleep over the things that don't?
Work on your focus. Be proactive. Make a strategy, not a plan! A plan is not a strategy.
I needed to be given permission once...but ever since then, I have fought to continue to live my life this way. To do my best to harness obsession. And that means something different everyday. Somedays obsessions do turn into overthinking and worry and therefore unhealthy. But most of my days are spent in pure flow and even 20 minutes of flow is worth the work in getting there.
Comments
Post a Comment