Do you focus too much on what you're doing?

Post Reply New Topic

Once again I've just about lit my house on fire.

I've started 2 fires in my lifetime by becoming so focused on something I was only meaning to spend a few seconds on that I end up forgetting I'm cooking. The first time it happend I was probably about 10. Thankfully it's never been serious.

I've come close to doing this so many times in my life.
Lot's of people have told me that they admire my ability to focus, and I take pride in my good memory, I'm even able to multitask very well - as long as I don't leave the kitchen.

I'm always very, very careful. Never broken a bone or has stiches. The closest I get to danger is bumping into things constantly.

Is anyone able to relate or perhaps this is a known aspie trait?

As in, don't talk to your passenger because you will forget you are driving?

Kept me accident-free for thirty years now.

dp

I had that pretty well under control from the time I was in middle teens. However, that is why I had to retire from herding kids last January. It's coming back.

When I'm cooking (or soldering, or welding, or...) I set a timer for the next event in that job, if I move off that job to another while the first is unfinished.

Pops

I've done that several times, most recently a few days ago.

Unfortunately, I tend to do it and then go to bed, and then wake up when all of the smoke detectors start going off.

I've destroyed several pots and pans and a few burners that way, but thankfully those could all be replaced.

I focus intently on whichever task I may be doing, but often do not remember to complete tasks on which I was previously focused.

I get ultra focused on things, so much that I won't even hear one of my kids talking to me when they're right next to me. They've learned to touch my arm to get my attention. My husband always gets on my case for doing that.

I can't multitask, so if I do something like put the cast iron skillet on the stove to dry, I can't leave it to do something else and come back. I've almost burned the house down too many times.

I have trouble even leaving the coffee maker.

Try writing yourself notes constantly.

I just gave myself a heck of a good idea.

I've set the inside of the oven on fire once, and that was because I was focusing too much on something else and forgot that I was cooking.
I was cooking potato wedges. I turned on the tv and saw a show that I liked and decided to watch it for 5 minutes before checking my wedges. I got so engrossed in the show that I lost all concept of time.

Use a timer

Hmm... I never cook (because I suck at it), but when something is burnt I'm normally the first one to be able to smell it out.

One time when I went home, my brother was cooking so once I opened the door there was smoke everywhere and I thought there was a fire, so I ran in to look for my brother (definitely NT).

He was sitting in front of a computer playing games -3-
Luckily it wasn't serious, we just had a very awful lunch.

Lost count of my disasters but I do remember my daughter forbidding me to cook if no-one was home. That was after the pot chicken disaster

There is only one rule now, if I am in a room doing something, I must not leave before I finish doing something. I do though

I believe I have just the right amount of focus. My intense focus serves me well at work, because I am able to find over 90 percent of the items on my Interlibrary Loan list. On several occasions, I have found everything. I used to have tunnel vision when I was younger, but I don't think I have it anymore.