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Interesting chat with Robert today. We talked mostly about working out where my energy is career-wise (currently wondering about balancing philosophy and full-time publishing).

But our conversation also got me thinking about the power of focussing on a single goal. The prime example might be studying a single philosophical problem in the British Library, or devoting a large blank page to a design solution.

How often do I get such focus these days? Unfortunately my attention is more divided than concentrated most days. Will have try to find more ways of getting ‘clear desk, blank page’ time…

Anyone know some tricks for this?

My essay for the Friends Quarterly competition on the future of Quakers in Britain is a bit long for a blog post, so here is a summary:

– I consider the period up to 50 years from now (until my 80th birthday)
– We’re a persistent group, but need to tackle some problems to ensure our survival
– Survival in my view turns on the question of identity
– We should:

• avoid using a superficial unity of practice as the source of our identity
• instead, recover a stronger sense of the ‘essentials’ or common Quaker starting points
• prune time-consuming elements of bureaucracy (make our business as lean as our worship)
• radically rethink structures which currently place much of our resources and faith in action at arms’ length
• spend more time in study and worship together to forge a stronger sense of identity

– These steps should give us a more coherent voice in the world, hence boost our chances of survival

Does the Religious Society of Friends in Britain have a meaningful future? It might do, but this is not a given. We are a persistent lot, but our persistence is not guaranteed. In exploring what our future might hold, I draw out the major problems and prospects we face over the next generation, and look at how our beliefs and practices might help or hinder our survival.

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