Train Yourself to Focus

Focus and concentration are two skills that require constant training. I began this article because I was having trouble focusing on the tasks at hand. I was feeling disorganized, unmotivated, and tired to boot. While there are certainly outside factors contributing to my lack of concentration, I'm using this article as way to get over the hump.

We all have those days where we feel overwhelmed by the work in front of us and unable to come to any real decision on where to start. When we do begin, we're easily distracted and find it difficult to concentrate. I didn't realize this at first, but there are techniques we can use to improve our concentration and train our minds to focus better.

Research shows that the average individual can maintain concentration on one single object for 18 seconds.

So how do we ever get anything done?

It's important to know how our brain works when focusing. There are two types of focus:

Involuntary focus - is controlled by our interests. When we're concentrating on a good book or movie, it's not difficult to find the time racing by when we're enjoying ourselves.

Voluntary focus - this is a deliberate effort on your part to pay attention to something. This type of focus makes it easy for our minds to wander to other stimuli.

Our lives are usually a mix of the two. We can't possibly always be interested in something that we have to concentrate on, so it's important to learn how to adapt our voluntary focus to increase our ability to concentrate on things that might not always been interesting to us. In writing this article, I would venture to guess that I'm having trouble with my voluntary focus. Don't get me wrong; I love my job and I love to write, but sometimes I just don't feel like doing it. Because I'm having one of those days, there's no doubt I'm in need of learning to deal with it right now.

This helpful article uses FOCUS as an acronym for 5 tips to improve your focus.

F - Five more rule

Give whatever you're doing 5 more. Whether you read 5 more pages of a book, write 5 more paragraphs to a paper, or work 5 more minutes on your project, it will help you build stamina in your attention span.

O - One think at a time

No it's not a typo, it is one think at a time. Make a deal with your brain to focus on only one thing at any given time. Tell yourself that you will tackle a piece of a project from 10 am to 11 am. Make an agreement with yourself that you will dedicate time to thinking and executing a certain plan instead of telling yourself you'll deal with it later. If you need to, write your agreement down to seal the deal. This will help you prioritize your own thoughts leaving you to focus on what's in front of you and allowing you to concentrate later on what you've scheduled for that time.

C - Conquer procrastination

Just like I mentioned earlier, a lack of focus can lead to procrastination. Ask yourself a few questions when you're plagued by looming thoughts.

• Do I need to do this now?
• Do I want it done so I don't have to think about it anymore?
• Will it be any easier later?

These questions force you to deal with the reality of what is really going on. Pay attention to your first inclination as it will likely set you free.

U - Use your hands as blinders

Say what? Cup your hands around the sides of your eyes giving you tunnel vision to exactly what's in front of you. The action of doing so may seem silly, but will act as a trigger for focus when used repeatedly. Remember that voluntary focus is easily distracted by outside factors so it's essential to train yourself to ignore them.

S - See as if for the first or last time

It's easy to let your mind wonder when you're in the middle of a task. We often sit down to complete an expense report or compile client packages and start thinking about the dishes that need to be done and the bills that need to be paid. These things are very distracting to us when we're trying to get something done right. When you find your mind wondering, take a moment to clear your head. Look around at your surroundings, review the material you're working on and get back into it.

The same things won't work for everyone, so let me offer alternatives to the steps listed above that have helped me in the past.

Meditation

Meditation really is concentration. I've made it a personal goal of mine to try to meditate not for concentration but for peace of mind; to wipe the slate clean at the end of the day so to speak. It's really an exercise in focus though. Try to concentrate on a candle or just one thought. It's not easy, but with repeated effort you'll notice your ability to concentrate becoming stronger. This will translate well to work life as you'll find it easier to block out distractions.

Change

Whether we're changing locations or starting a new project, it allows us to start over. We can clear our minds of what we were doing before and start fresh on something or somewhere new. Give yourself a break rather than pushing through something tedious. You'll find yourself refreshed and ready to jump back into it.

These steps have been imperative in helping me harness my energy to concentrate on this article and I can honestly say that I'm in a different mental state than when I started. A lack of concentration and focus may come and go from day to day, but as with plenty in life, practice makes perfect. We must constantly train ourselves to keep up with our ever evolving work life. It's ok to have an off day, but using these techniques will help to make them fewer and farther between.