Scary Indeed... Focus and prioritize

I read with interest this week that Ontario passed law to ban cellphone driving behind the wheel. Most people have been guilty of this at some point, myself included, though in the past two years I have stopped for several reasons (unless in case of emergency, which has yet to occur.)
Why such a big deal? Well, the question to me is why is it necessary? Really, how many of us need to chatting away to our brother's girlfriend about last night's Gilmore Girls re-run while coasting on the highway over the speed limit, or making idle chit chat idling in traffic only to risk distraction and bumping the next person in line. It's a matter of focus.

Before my arrival at IF I worked out at various gyms and fitness clubs, and have witnessed those who will put down the weights during a set of bench press or hop off the treadmill to answer a cellphone. Now I cant know what each call is about, nor would I want to, but in reality how many of those are emergencies or necessary calls? How many are just an indulgence in ego and inability to focus on the task at hand? Would I stop a conversation with a friend on the street to do 15 extra pushups? Well no, THAT would be silly. Besides, I am focused on my conversation, on my friend. I have my priorities in order.

I had this debate with a friend who suggested I viewed technology as a bad thing. Technology is inanimate, it's how we use it and apply it to our daily life that determines whether it is positive or negative influence. Much like our health, there comes a time in life (holidays, busy work periods, personal commitments) when we might slip in our gym routine, then work extra hard to recover. That's being responsible for our health, by re-focusing our commitment. The scenario in the gym or car is more about technology enabling us to be lazy. Driving isn't a place to kill time by chatting away. It's a place where you could kill a whole lot of people within a split second with one minor discretion. The gym is one area... The open road at high speeds... A completely new level. It's a perfect example of imbalance in priorities.

The point: Focus, responsibilities and results/success go hand in hand. Many see it in regular clients everyday. Those who come early in the morning (or realistically whenever they can) and give a hard effort in their hour as opposed to those who come 15 minutes late, hungover, and answer the berry device with every little chime to make party plans. In fact, I have just described a regular to the bone, someone who is very friendly but has been given the priorities lecture by several trainers many times. The ability to focus on ourselves, our well being, and our responsibilities as they relate to the individual within society are all dictated by priorities. In the gym, its your own health you toy with, and it's fairly easily remedied if you can focus. On the open road, it's everyone else's well being, not just your own. If that can't be a priority to the people driving in the time they are there.... Scary.