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By Arina On February 8, 2010No Comments
When we watch our favorite Football team play, read a thrilling book, listen to an interesting person talk or do something that we enjoy, we do not have to force ourselves to pay attention to the task. We can effortlessly maintain 100% focus over a long period of time. But there are other times when no matter how hard we try, we just cannot seem to keep it together.
I, for instance, regularly forget my cell phone at home (which really upsets my friends and family members). But I am sure I am not the only one guilty of day-dreaming and mind-wandering.
I am going to take a guess that you too have been in a situation when a person was talking to you while your thoughts were wandering somewhere else. Or when you really needed to learn new material, and yet you were reading the words without really understanding the main idea. Or when you planned on starting a new workout routine, but could not make yourself stay committed to your goal.
All these experiences have one thing in common – lack of focus.
Many people believe that poor concentration is an almost irresolvable problem. I can tell you from my own experience that it isn’t. In fact, there are many great little tips and exercises that you can do to noticeably improve your focus and expand your attention span in just 3 days.
Here are the first 10 (10 more are coming in the next post. I did not write them all together for one simple reason – it would be really hard to read and memorize all 20 suggestions at once):
1. Identify your objective. The concept of focus put simply is about not losing the thread of what you are trying to do. Usually if you do not have a clear objective before you start working on a certain task, half of your time and effort will be simply wasted. Therefore, before beginning anything, ask yourself “What is my objective for doing it?” It does not matter if you are working on a project, making pancakes, talking to a friend or trimming the lawn. Some of your actions should be directed to achieve a concrete goal. When you define clearly what it is that you want to accomplish, you cut your chances of getting distracted by half.
2. Concentrate on one task at a time. When we have ten + tasks on our to-do list, multitasking seems like the only logical solution to get them all done. We multitask, because we believe that it boosts our efficiency and productivity. However, true productivity is not about how many things you can do at once. It is about how many tasks you complete. If you want to get more done a lot faster and with fewer errors, focus your attention on just one task at a time.
3. Choose important over urgent. Not all of the important tasks are urgent. Quite the opposite, all long-term goals that have the biggest positive impact on our life are way ahead in the future. Similar, most tasks that seem highly urgent will not matter in a month. Make sure that you do not let yourself be distracted by apparent priorities and keep your focus on tasks that are truly important for your career, personal life, health and spiritual growth. Everything else can wait!
4. Set up a success environment. It has been proven that visual clutter impedes our focus and productivity. If you want to improve your focus, clear your desk and close all the unnecessary tabs on your desktop. Leave only those materials or things that you need to successfully complete the task.
5. Block out distractions. Because we are programmed biologically to stay alert to changes in our environment, it is natural for us to react to every interruption in our environment. In order to stay focused, we must keep our distractions at bay. Close the door and ask your coworkers or family members not to disturb you for 45-50 minutes. Turn off your e-mail notifications, Twitter, Facebook, messenger, and Skype. Switch off your cell phone. Turn off the TV, internet or your mp3 player. If you absolutely must have background “noise” to stay concentrated (like I do), choose classical music, mantra chanting or nature sounds CDs. This type of relaxation music has been proven to boost focus and creativity.
6. Take care of your body. It is close to impossible to keep your concentration levels high, if you are tired, hungry, thirsty or anxious. Make sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating well and getting regular exercise. This will increase your physical energy, improve oxygen levels in the bloodstream and as a result will keep your mind more alert.
7. Study your energy patterns. All of us have different times of the day when we feel energized and motivated and times of day when we feel lazy and less productive. Plan your daily routine by taking your energy patterns into consideration and scheduling your most important tasks when your attention is highest.
8. Work in blocks. Our concentration is highest during the first 50 minutes of work. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Break down your tasks into 45-50 minute sessions, which are followed by a 10-15 minute focus shift. This means that after your focus session is over, you immediately stop whatever you have been doing, get up from your desk and do something completely different (for example, make yourself a cup of coffee, chat with colleague, do a 10-minute workout, call your spouse to see how they have been doing).
9. Do it wholeheartedly. If you do not feel like doing something, you will actively look for excuses to get distracted, which only prolongs the torture. Whatever you are doing, try to find some aspects that interest and motivate you. Why is it important to get this task done well? What benefits will it bring you?
10. Give yourself a break! With our busy work schedule, most of us use our break time to make phone calls, browse the internet or do some more work (which keeps us “glued” to our desk for hours). Doing this basically means killing your productivity. When your body gets tired, your brain cells get exhausted, your concentration level decreases and your performance suffers. Therefore, if you want to surprise yourself and others with your laser-like focus and improved productivity, make sure to take 10-25 minute breaks every hour or so. And do not forget weekends are when all work ends, otherwise they would be called working days. 
Recent Posts
By Glenn Beck Articles On February 8, 2010
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What will it take to get America back to what our Founders intended? The problems are clear: big government, progressive agendas weighing down the system and bankrupting it. Clearly the politicians aren’t doing anything about it – so it’s up to you. Get informed. Get involved. Do what the progressives have done for the last 100 years (to ruin it) — and get started fixing things one baby step at a time. Glenn announces the event he hopes will give Americans the information they need to return this country to it’s founding principles.
By Glenn Beck Articles On February 8, 2010
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Apparently these days it’s controversial to do an ad giving thanks your son is alive. That was the case with the much anticipated Tim Tebow commercial, in which his Mom talked about her decision to choose life. This had the pro-abortion groups screaming to the mountains to stop this ad. What happened to pro ‘choice’? Seems like the only choice pro-’choice’ groups care about is abortion.
By Glenn Beck Articles On February 7, 2010
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Moving terror trials…
By Michael Barrett On February 6, 2010
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"Winter"
Tom Barrett & Kenny Thomas
By Michael Barrett On February 6, 2010
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By Michael Barrett On February 6, 2010
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Washington refuses to learn from history, and is intent on on following it’s suicidal path to its end. Of course, we can try to do what we can to stop them. I raise my voice in protest. I write my congressmen. But If I can’t stop them, I’m going to make damn sure that I have protected myself from the politicians’ stupidity, but also have capitalized on it. Because every dollar wasted & every new dollar printed expands the global supply of every type of currency except for two. Gold and silver are the only currencies they CAN’T print!!!
By Darren Hardy On February 5, 2010
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A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DARREN HARDY:
Here’s a summary of week five in our journey towards Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life where Ianswer your questions and give you a course update.
I’ve also selected some of your questions and observations left in the comments sections along with some of my responses. I hope you find it helpful to peruse through the common questions and insights shared by others experiencing the process along with you.
By Arina On February 5, 2010
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For many of us January is one month of the year when we reflect on what we would like to change in our life, set goals, start new projects, decide to let go of negative habits and improve our character. I honestly believe that if we all managed to keep the same level of motivation, excitement and determination as we have in January, for the rest year, we would not need to read books about overcoming procrastination or staying focused on our goals.
Unfortunately, February comes and our enthusiasm and commitment wears thin. We find ourselves slowly slipping back to our old habits and old lifestyle. And finally, after about a month-and-a-half we throw our hands up in the air and declare, “Forget about it! It is too hard”. Then, of course, we wait for the next year to try again.
This year can be different!
Here are ten top tips to help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions throughout the rest of the year:
1. Have realistic expectations. In the best tradition of the holiday season, when we decide to pursue a certain goal, we often overestimate our future level of motivation and productivity and underestimate possible implications that we might encounter on our way. Do not expect to see immediate results of your efforts. Miracles do happen, but only to people who are willing to wait for them! Keep that in mind when you set deadlines for your goals.
Solution: Imagine that my New Year’s resolution is very similar to yours. How long do you think it will take me to reach this goal, given that I have a full time job, two young children that I have to pick up after school and a Salsa Class on Wednesdays and Fridays? So what is your verdict? Most likely, this is the same deadline you should consider for yourself. It has been proven that we are a lot better at making estimations for other people than for ourselves.
2. Pick just one goal. I know that it might be tempting to go after one career-related goal, one personal life goal, one health goal, one self-improvement goal and top that all off with a three-week vacation, a great book that you are dying to write and Japanese language courses that you always wanted to take. Have you ever tried juggling with 3-7 tennis balls? Try it. I bet you, that you will drop at least two balls on your first try. Juggling with 3-7 goals is no different. You will give up on all of them before you know it.
Solution: Prioritize. Choose just one resolution that is the most important to you at the moment and fully concentrate your efforts on it. The rest of the resolutions on your list can wait.
3. Do not walk into the same brick wall twice. In a very curious research paper “If at First You Don’t Succeed”, Polivy and Herman examine the reasons why so many people keep trying to achieve the same goals over and over again despite overwhelming odds. It seems that we repeatedly strive for the same goals, and make the same mistakes, instead of taking the time to figure out what would be the best way to achieve our goals and how to do it with less effort.
Solution: Do not strive to achieve last year’s resolution. It is already associated with failure and disappointments. Instead pick a new goal or, if you absolutely must pursue the same goal, try to look at it from a different perspective (e.g. What other way can you achieve the same result? What stopped you the last time you tried to accomplish this goal? What can you do differently this year?)
4. Educate yourself, before you do anything else! Any serious life change requires time, sustained effort, but most of all knowledge. Too many people rush into taking action on their resolutions, without the necessary preparation or a clearly defined action plan. If you pick a resolution, because it sounds “cool” and motivating, slap a random deadline on it and then take several random actions to achieve it – your results will most likely be unpleasantly predictable.
Solution: Before setting some grandiose resolutions that require you to change your life style, ask yourself a few questions:
a) Why do you want to accomplish this particular goal? For example, you want to lose 20 pounds in two months. Why exactly 20 pounds? Why in 2 and not 3 months? Why do you think it is a realistic goal for you?
b) What do you need to know about your goal, before proceeding?
c) What are a number of do-able steps that you can take on a daily/weekly basis that will ensure your success?
5. Do not focus on pain. Many great and useful resolutions are linked to some kind of sacrifice: stop smoking, stop eating junk food, cutting down on our expenses, or giving up two hours of watching TV for jogging. If you concentrate on what you are losing, you are not going to make it, because you will put an end to practically any inner motivation that you had.
How can anyone be happy and enthusiastic about give up something that they like?
Solution: The more personally motivated you are to take all the necessary action steps, the higher are your chances of sticking to your New Year’s resolution. Think of what you can gain when working towards accomplishing your goal. Make sure that when you break your goal into smaller manageable tasks, you state them positively, instead of concentrating on what you deprive yourself of. For example, if you want to lose weight, why proclaim that you will never eat chocolate again when instead you can chose to substitute one in between meal snack with a serving of fruit?
6. Prepare yourself that it might not be a piece of cake. According to the latest statistic, 25% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned during the first 15 weeks. I do not believe that it happens, because we lack desire and determination. Quite the opposite, most of us are truly excited about getting started! The problem is that we expect to accomplish everything in record time with minimal effort. We are simply not prepared to do the consistent work required to accomplish our great goals. As soon as things get slightly uncomfortable, inconvenient or challenging, we panic and give up.
While staying positive and concentrating on the rewards that you will gain after accomplishing your goal is important, be careful not to underestimate potential resistance that you might encounter on your way.
Solution: Make sure to break your goal down into a number of very specific steps. If your action plan is too vague, you set yourself up for a sure failure. Instead of promising yourself “to run twice a week”, block specific time for this activity and take into consideration possible challenges that you might have to face. For example, your resolution may look like, “I will run Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday at 8:15 a.m. If I cannot run on one of these days, I will run Sunday at 9:00 a.m.”
7. Do not be too hard on yourself. Making important life changes is not easy. You may slip up from time to time. No, let me rephrase that – there is a high chance that in the beginning you will slip up a lot. It happens to the best of us. Do not exaggerate the gravity of the situation or beat yourself up over it. You will fail only when you stop trying. Pick up where you left off and carry on working towards your goal.
Solution: Get a support group. Following through with your New Year’s resolutions is much easier when you have strong back up. Research shows that telling friends and family about your resolutions increase your chances of sticking to your goal by 10%. But do not just stop there.
• Find an accountability partner, or a person, who will regularly check up on your progress and will not let you procrastinate.
• Join a forum where other people are trying to achieve the same goals that you have.
• Find a person, who has already successfully accomplished what you are striving for and ask them for advice!
• Become an accountability partner or a motivational coach for another person. When we know that we must do everything in our power to help another person succeed, we ourselves become instantly more determined, more enthusiastic and more goal-oriented!
And remember, “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” You included!
By Glenn Beck Articles On February 5, 2010
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I want to focus on what puts states with progressive policies at greater risk than states with more conservative ideals — and who is in deeper trouble.
By Glenn Beck Articles On February 5, 2010
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First Lady Michelle Obama has picked childhood obesity as her issue to battle for. A noble cause, for sure – but no one expected she’d single out her kids as being obese, especially considering they don’t exactly look very big. Glenn plays the audio and reacts – then dives into a discussion on BMI. How healthy is Glenn? He goes over the disturbing numbers on radio this morning.
When we watch our favorite Football team play, read a thrilling book, listen to an interesting person talk or do something that we enjoy, we do not have to force ourselves to pay attention to the task. We can effortlessly maintain 100% focus over a long period of time. But there are other times when no matter how hard we try, we just cannot seem to keep it together.
