Are you thinking, "I agree, but how
can we improve our
ability to focus and maintain attention --no matter what?" These five
FOCUS tips can help you concentrate better -- whether you're
working in a busy office, studying at school, playing a sport, or trying
to finish a project.
F= Five More Rule:
There are two kinds of people -- those who have learned how
to work through frustration, and those who wish they had.
From now on, if you're in the middle of a task and tempted
to give up --just do FIVE MORE. Read FIVE MORE paragraphs.
Write FIVE more sentences. Work FIVE MORE minutes. Get FIVE
more first serves in.
Just as athletes build physical stamina by pushing
past the point of exhaustion, you can build mental
stamina by pushing past the point of frustration. Just as
runners get their second wind by not giving up when their
body is tired, you can get your "second mind" by not giving
up when your brain is tired. Continuing to concentrate when
you’re tempted to quit is the key to S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G
your attention span and building mental staying power.
O=One Think At a Time:
Samuel Goldwyn said, "If I look confused, it's because I'm
thinking." Feeling scatter-brained? Overcome perpetual
preoccupation with the Godfather Plan -- make your mind a
deal it can't refuse. Yes, the mind takes bribes. Instead of
telling it NOT to worry about something (which, ironically,
causes your mind to think
about the very thing it's not supposed to think about!);
assign it a single task with start-stop time
parameters.
For example, "I will think about that credit card debt when
I get home and have a chance to add up my bills. For the
next thirty minutes from 1-1:30 pm, I will give my complete
focus to practicing this presentation so I am eloquent and
articulate when pitching this proposal to our VIP clients."
Still
can't get other concerns out of your head? Write them down
on your to-do list so you're
free to forget
them. Recording worrisome obligations means you don't
have to use your brain as a "reminder" bulletin board, which
means it can give undivided attention to your top priority
task.
C= Conquer Procrastination:
Don't feel like concentrating?
Are you putting off a task? That's a form of
procrastination. R. D. Clyde said, "It's amazing how long it
takes to complete something we're not working on.”
Next time you're about to postpone a responsibility ask
yourself, "Do I
have
to do this? Do I
want
it done
so it's not weighing on my mind and making me feel guilty?
Will it be any easier later?"
U = Use Your Hands as Blinkers
Picture your mind as a camera and your eyes as its aperture.
Most of the time, our eyes are "taking it all in" and our
brain is in "wide-angle focus." We can actually think about
many things at once and operate quite efficiently this way
(e.g., imagine driving down a crowded highway while talking
to a friend, fiddling with the radio, keeping an eye on the
cars beside you, and watching for your exit sign.)
What if you want to switch to telephoto focus? What if you
have to prepare for a test and you need 100% concentration?
Cup your hands around your eyes so you have "tunnel vision"
and are looking solely at your text book. Placing your hands
on the side of your face blocks out surroundings so they are
literally "out of sight, out of mind." Think about the
importance of those words.
Want even better news? Does the name Pavlov r-r-r-ring a
bell? If you cup your hands around your eyes every time you
want to switch from wide-angle to telephoto focus, that
physical ritual becomes a Pavlovian trigger.
Remember? Pavlov rang the bell, fed the dog, rang the bell
and fed the dog, until the dog started salivating as soon as
he heard the sound of the bell. Similarly, using your hands
as blinkers every time you want to narrow your focus teaches
your brain to switch to "one track" mind and concentrate on
your command.
S = See As If For the First or Last Time
Want to know how to be "here and now" and fully present
instead of mindlessly rushing here, there, and everywhere?
Frederick Franck said, "When the eye wakes up to see again,
it suddenly stops taking anything for granted." Evelyn
Underhill said, "For lack of attention, a thousand forms of
loveliness elude us every day."
I constantly relearn this lesson. Years ago, I was giving my
sons Tom and Andrew their nightly back rub. Although I was
sitting right next to them, I might as well have been in the
next county because I was thinking of the early morning
flight I needed to take the next day and wondering if I had
packed my hand-outs, if my ticket was in my purse, etc.
Suddenly, my unfocused eyes fell upon my sons and I truly
SAW Tom and Andrew as if I was looking at them for the first
time. I was immediately flooded with a sense of gratitude
for these two healthy, thriving boys. I felt so blessed to
have been gifted with such wonderful sons. In an instant, I
went from being absent-minded to being filled with a sense
of awe and appreciation for their presence in my life.
Next time your mind is a million miles away, simply look
around you and really SEE your surroundings. Study that
exquisite flower in the vase. Get up close to the picture on
the wall and marvel at the artist's craftsmanship.
Lean in and really look at a loved one you tend to take for
granted. This will "Velveteen Rabbit" your world and make it
come alive in your mind's eye.
Fun, Fascinating Quotes About Concentration
-
"I used to think the human brain was the most
fascinating part of the body, and then I realized, 'What
is telling me that?'" - Emo Phillips
-
"I'm getting so absent-minded and forgetful. Sometimes
in the middle of a sentence, I . . . " - Milton Berle
-
"Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity
and in cold weather becomes frozen, even so does
inaction sap the vigors of the mind." Leonardo da Vinci
-
"Tell me to what you pay attention, and I will tell you
who you are." - Jose Ortega y Gasset
-
I would go without shirt or shoe sooner than lose for a
minute the two separate sides of my head." - Rudyard
Kipling
-
"It's not that I don't want to listen to people. I very
much want to listen to people. I just can't hear them
over my talking." - Paula Poundstone.
*****************************
About Sam Horn
Sam Horn is the author of ConZentrate: which Stephen Covey
calls "Fascinating, thought-provoking. Highly recommended."
Sam has had the opportunity to speak to more than a half
million people in more than 35 states and in Geneva, London,
Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin and St. Moritz. Her keynotes,
training workshops, and conference presentations
consistently receive excellent evaluations for being full of
fun, real-life ideas participants are motivated to use
immediately at work, at home, and in their community. She
was the top-rated speaker at both the 1996 and 1998
International Platform Association conventions in Washington
DC, and works with clients ranging from Cisco to Intel, NASA
to KPMG.
*****************************
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