Something I think every young meat cutter should give thought to.
The most important skill we possess in this world is the ability to focus. Many things can distracts us and is just mind clutter. TV, Social Media, Cell phones, Facebook, needs of others,etc
To be a professional meat cutter you need to clear out our mind clutter and place our attention where it matters most, which requires three steps:
1.Know your focus. This is critical and rarely done well. Knowing exactly where to place your attention is a challenge, especially given the barrage of worthless mind clutter that hits us every day.
2.Sustain your focus. Knowing where you want to place your attention is one thing. Actually placing and keeping it there day after day is another.
3.Protect your focus. Defending yourself from being distracted by mind clutter is a moment-by-moment discipline. You need to become a master at choosing when to say, “no thanks,” even when it seems like there’s no downside to saying, “why not?”Because there’s almost always a downside.
That's an interesting set of statement. Certainly easy, at first glacé to agree with. As I reread it and study it a bit more I still agree with the premise; but everything must be in balance. To concentrate and focus completely on one thing or objective will usually keep you from seeing the greater value. You should focus, but you must look around too. In other words, stop and smell the roses. Focus, but don't be obsessed. Devote time to career, family, spirt, finances, etc. But not necessarily in that order.
Live well, learn much, love greatly, and work for satisfaction.
well said chef frank. Focusing dy to day,after every cut,diferant orders your marraige, kids its a tuff world,life we live in. I think if you can get up in the morning and love urself enough to surrond yourself with.positive people,atmosphere then maybe you stand a chance. Ive always been a sucker for love but the older i get thr better i handle it. My thoughs on that.
here's my take when we drive we look out the front to see where we are going(like focus) we glance in the rearveiw mirror to see where we have been(lessons learned) we focus more on where we are going than where we have been(good thing)but never forgetting the rearveiw mirror(help us make better choices going forward) a little corny but ....
my last job at winn-dixie was a joke as far as focus . the meatroom was a cutthrough between the floor and back hall.you never knew who was coming through to distract you. mentioned it to my mkt mgr -what a joke-man had no spine to stop it-mentioned it to store mgr/director. his reply-they have been doing it for so long I DON'T THINK I CAN STOP IT!!!
The cure for it was to stop all work at night except to clean up-and even then it didn't work
zem, tell the store manager they are tracking chicken juice out on the sales floor, and you've seen customers almost slip and fall=
I had to do this in one store-if that doesnt work, tell them you saw a mouse jump off a u-boat and went into the cooler and you cant find it---- this usually works
also, tell them its such a distraction, its very dangerous,,,cutters with knives and using the bandsaw- not knowing when the door flies open- its startling..
if this doesnt work, make a write up, and have everyone in the meat dept sign it...(a dangerous distraction).give a copy to the store manager and keep a copy at home..
if someone gets hurt, that person can now sue the company , because they took no action to prevent it..
Sorry i cant comment on this, i could not focus. 
