Attention #1

Booyah!

This week I made a stew called Green Bay Booyah which has short ribs and chicken in it.  It’s really fantastic, especially the third day which is what I’m consuming (sadly) the last of now.  If you have a Cook’s Illustrated online membership (or are willing to sign up for one) then you can find it here:  

http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/6796-green-bay-booyah

It’s kind of expensive for a stew recipe but it makes a ton of food.  

Your assignment today is long, so pay attention.

Before you do whatever exercise it is you do tomorrow, go get a writing journal of some kind, preferably handwritten but electronic is fine, open it up and write today’s date at the top of a page and then below the date write “Thursday Attention Exercise.”  Close the journal and put it away.  Go perform your daily exercise.  

While you are exercising, pay attention to your attention; that is, when your mind fixes on something, simply try to notice that your attention is on it.  Do this for your entire exercise period.  When you return home, go to the journal and make a list (as comprehensive as possible, but don’t get wound up about trying to remember everything), of all the things you paid attention to while you were exercising.  Don’t edit anything out even if it’s embarrassing or weird or disturbing.  Just write a list of what you paid attention to.When you are done with your list, read it aloud to yourself.  At the end of your reading, try to choose the one thing you think you paid attention to the most during the exercise period.

During your next writing period, write a piece about that one thing.