What if we focused on the task at hand. Much like querying a search engine–which is a task done in series–one would only try and complete the necessary task in front of him or her. But let’s define some parameters. 1) One would learn all they could about the task at hand, and 2) one would always try and complete the task at hand to the best of their ability. Would this not result in more growth over time?

Typically schools teach in parallel. I studied to be a photographer, but I also learned english and math and geography and a whole bunch of other subjects that now I’ve forgotten. It distracted me from my photography. What level of success would I have been able to achieve if high school had completed the prep work for college AND I had only focused on my determined major?

I understand that a range of subjects are necessary to live. But unless goal creation is narrowed (or taught in school for that matter) and the scope of our minds is set, we will project ourselves all over the place–into the future and horizontally into the now. We will be horribly distracted.

What can we learn by focusing on the task at hand?

Laying awake at night, endless, soft rain falling outside, the warm glow of Christmas lights splash over the far end of my room. An environment conducive to conscious dreaming, bringing me to an awareness a year and a half in the making: I love photography because of its ability to reform space into something that is representative of space. This representation, now a two dimensional memory, can invoke feelings of joy, sadness, desire, warmth, and longing, within a frame. But a photograph of a space is still something more. The conscious choice of what exists in a photograph is what I find thrilling. Not the whim of a crop line removing a tree or person. But the very carefully placed book, apple crate, floor lamp, ceiling molding, reflection in the hard wood floor, legs crossed, pursed lips, cigar smoke, elaborate grandfather clock; the intention. The construction of, and then the knowing, the world outside the photograph changes.

Think about the magic of Disneyworld. What makes it so memorable and enticing? It’s a place of complete possibility, one that tugs on your childhood heartstrings. For children Disneyworld is real. They don’t yet live in a world of big-box-marts and roads to nowhere. The environment has been carefully crafted for them through movies so it seamlessly merges itself into reality when they are there. Wouldn’t it be amazing if our childhood didn’t have to end?

Some of us hold on to our childhood through the decor of our houses. We make them magical places to be experienced by friends and family year round. These are natural places of comfort, culture, and experience. Others choose to grasp experiences through local venues that are stylized in a certain decor. Bars and clubs usually offer experiences that are all encompassing. And with the aid of alcohol it can become magical.

But beyond a select few venues, we find our fault as Americans. We chose not to build things that matter. Everything must be functional and we need it NOW! What if our streets were ment as more than thoroughfares, but as places to experience and be experienced? If architecture was a primary concern for any area that was being developed, taking into account people will interact with the area, its future safety, and how it will age–not being as concerned with cost effectiveness as with creating something positive and magical? We know that the magic will attract people. They want to spend money in environments that are meant to be experienced. This is why Disneyworld tickets are $100+. And also why thousands of people visit each day. What if this money was spent in local businesses that came together to create magical environments to be experienced? Would the long run profits outweigh the initial cost? What about the goodwill and pleasure people will gain from these environments?

Where are you living? Does anything come close?

Teams. People who are chosen to work together based on their ability, interest, and willingness to submit to a certain discipline for the betterment of a group.

Sports have teams. Companies have teams. College courses have teams. What if team training happened from early childhood? What if children were placed in organized groups and pushed to succeed with these people? What if these groups were based on aptitude and were trained in a specific discipline? Would this violate our rights as Americans? or is a general education just as damning in one’s life as a focused education?

The only difference lay in changing a child’s interests. But at the end of high school, it’s mostly how you were directed anyway. It’s just who chose to make an impact.

What if you could submit yourself to an eduction based on tight knit relationships? Would you choose this for yourself? your child? Knowing that these people would be the most important people in your life? your child’s life? How they think, operate, reference, and respond, would be based on how they perceive the world through their chosen group, their closest friends. Knowing that they are loved and supported by these friends. Would this be wrong? Is this too tribal? too reduced? Too psychologically damning if it fell apart? Or would this be better? A family. A family focused on learning and achieving together.

If you had an empty floor in a warehouse, 20 people, 1 leader, none of which have any background in teaching, but each of which have a huge desire for relationships and learning, how would you begin?

You email, call, text, tweet, and message your web designer to get that button in just the right place, or the background color just the right shade, or the content bigger, or the links in the right order. Why not this amount of attention to detail to your physical business? Websites may be the new places–function and ambiance add to customers retention–but your physical business holds your employees. Which group is more important to please?

Look at Google, Pixar, and Disney. Read accounts of how their employees work and the environments they work in. They are beautiful, team based organizations, with distinct atmospheres that employees help to create. Atmosphere plays a role in how work is done; how creative one feels; how employees interact with customers; how long an employee is willing to work for a company. If your business looks perfect online but this same amount of attention does not translate to atmosphere and function offline, a disconnect will soon follow.