Be Focused
Focused: To be focused is to be someone whose thoughts, feelings, and actions are fully enveloped in whatever activity they are currentl engaged in.
“The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus.”
What exactly does it mean to be Focused?
To be focused is to be someone who has mastery over their mind. A focused person is one who is capable of keeping their thoughts and feelings enveloped in whatever task occupies them.
It sounds…. big right. Possibly Impossible.
It’s not. Focus, like anything else, is a skill that can be learned.
When you focus on something, that thing has your complete attention. You can probably think back, even if you're the most easily distracted unfocused sort, and think of a time that one specific thing really held your interest. That’s focusing. All you have to do, to become someone is focused is learn how to call that attention at will.
It’s easier to focus on things your passionate about. Obviously. It doesn’t even really take any effort.
Focusing on something less interesting….. like a conversation that means little to you even if the person speaking means a great deal to you when the subject matter is so boring. Or a repetitive task……. Or say a blog post that you accidentally deleted (Totally a software issue, Not a user issue!) and are now having to rewrite.
Here’s the thing with any skill though, the more you practice it, the more it comes naturally.
And to practice focus, all you have to do is focus, (well duh).
But seriously… just pick an activity and hone in your attention on that activity by thinking about every aspect of it… How it looks, how it feels, how it sounds, etc….. Observe the activity… and secondly…. observer your own mind. Notice when other thoughts start to pull your attention away from the activity.
Don’t fight against these thoughts. They are completely natural. Instead, just make a simple note of them… “Okay my mind is really curious about dinner tonight, but it’s not relevant right now… I can think about it later but right now I’m going to continue thinking about this activity that I’m doing” Trying to shove the thought away makes them resistant… acknowledging them and their purpose allows them to gently fade away.
And that’s it…. the more you get intentional about your focus….. the more you won’t have to get intentional about your focus… One of those beautiful little ironies of life.
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”
How focused are you currently?
Rate each statement 1-5. 1 being you do not agree at all. 5 being you completely agree:
1. I am easily distracted.
2. I don’t have enough time in the day.
3. I daydream constantly.
4. I have a poor memory.
5. I have little control over my thoughts and emotions.
Add your scores together for your total score:
Score 5-10: You have exceptional focus. Seriously, could I borrow some? You’re probably extremely productive and I’m not entirely sure why you even took this test.
Score 11-19: You can focus when you need to, but it doesn’t come easily or naturally. Really, you’re probably doing better than you think you are. A little more practice and you’ll be a master in no time.
Score 20-25: You’re about as focused as a toddler in a toy store…. I mean, sure, sometimes those little people can lock in their focus on one specific toy and nothing you do will divert their attention. But most of the time…. they’re alllllll over the place. Don’t beat yourself up though. The world is an exciting place… there is a lot going on at any given moment and focusing on just one thing. Maybe it’s the focused people who are the crazy ones. However, if you need a little more focus….. for productivity or other grown-up things…. it’s not as hard to find as you think it is.
I scored an 18 on this. I am getting more intentional with my meditation practice for a lot of reasons, but the main reason is to improve this score. Focus to me isn’t just about productivity… it’s about getting a grip on my emotions. Aligning my thoughts, feelings, and actions so that I can be truer to myself and my dreams.
“Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.”
Being Focused Can Add Value to Your Life By:
1. Increasing Productivity
You’re going to get things done a lot quicker when you just do them, instead of pausing every 10 minutes to think about all of the things you need to do later…. or whatever else has you distracted.
2. It can decrease stress/anxiety
I’m not sure it’s true for everyone…. but most people I know who get distracted easily tend to be worriers….. I take 15 minutes away from a project I’m working on to think about how I’m going to fix my friends problem (I’m not. You can’t control people, and you can’t change people. You can help when asked and able… but if you’re sitting worrying about it you probably weren’t or aren’t)
Stress and Anxiety literally come from worry about the future (Influenced my brain chemistry patterns)….. when you focus… you’re taking away that worry time….. thus, very literally, decreasing your stress and anxiety.
3. It can add hours to your day.
Like magic. Time is money, or so they say. When you learn to set aside distractions, you get your work done much quicker, which leaves time for other things like….. more work (if that’s your thing), or relaxation, or maybe that elusive thing some people call fun.
Too Much of a Good Thing: I know someone who gets so hyper focused on what he’s doing, that I’m pretty sure his house could be on fire and he wouldn’t notice….. and well.. then he’d be dead. When you’re focusing….. you don’t turn off your awareness of what’s going on around you…. it’s more like… you hand your awareness over to your subconscious. Train your mind to alert you when something significant happens and then, trust it to do so.
“People who can focus get things done. People who can prioritize get the right things done.”
The Simple Step-by-Step Process to Becoming More Focused.
1. Chose one simple activity to focus on.
It can be something you already do every day.... in fact it's probably best if it is, then you can easily add a focus practice into your day without having to make time for it. It should also be something extremely simple, think breathing, walking, washing dishes, exercising, etc. 2. Sharpen your focus by engaging your senses.
Pay more attention the activity than you have before… Like an insane amount of attention. Think about how it feels, how it sounds, how it looks, maybe even how it smells. The more mentally involved you are in the activity the less room your brain will have for distractions.
3. Let other thoughts come and go.
Don’t fight them. Acknowledge them. Note them. Set them aside for later.
Tips and Tricks::
1. Start Small
If focus, is hard for you…. diving right into an hour meditation and trying to focus on nothing but you're breathing for 60 full minutes…. would be like trying to climb Mount Everest when you get winded on a flight of stairs.
2. Add regular check ins.
Every now and then ask yourself how focused you are on what you’re doing. Even if it’s not an activity that requires a lot of focus, if the answer to this is not at all… take a few minutes to focus on it. You don’t have to be focused 100% of the time…. but being capable of focusing 100% of the time is a valuable skill to train yourself in.
