The Focus School- Part 1

First and foremost, we must ask ourselves, what is focus? 

Simply put, focus is what allows people to begin tasks without procrastination while sustaining the effort and energy needed to complete the task at hand. Focus is how people pay attention to the task at hand in the midst of distractions and setbacks. 

As Ned Hallowell wrote in Driven to Distraction at Work: How to Focus and Be More Productive, focus itself compromises 5 concepts: energy, emotion, engagement, structure, and control. 

1 . Energy: Simply put, make sure that you focus on staying relaxed, and not channel our energy wildly. If we struggle to relax, we start to lose our energy, and our ability to focus starts fading. 

2 . Emotions: Knowing who we become when we are emotional is the basis for making focus possible. Only we know what psychological states we work best in; we cannot begin to focus without understanding our emotional states. 

3 . Engagement: Being fully engaged with your life and tasks is not possible without being sufficiently interested or motivated. If our tasks are too rote, or uninspiring, sustained focus is a challenge. 

4 . Structure: The default state of life is chaotic and structureless. In order to best focus, make sure to optimize the way you structure your tasks, and even your thinking processes. 

5 . Control: Don’t let the things in your life take control over you—own your time, own your day. Lack of control drives stress and stress is not good for focus.

OUR TIPS: 

- Do you have trouble relaxing? One easy fix is to place yourself in a place where you won’t get interrupted. Use a “Do not disturb” sign when you absolutely have to get work done. Put your phone away or silence your notifications. 

- Do you let your emotional states block your ability to focus? Learn to calm down. Stop for a moment, and focus on your breathing. Practicing your calming techniques trains your body to respond to different situations, allowing you to focus when you’re calm and not when you’re frazzled. 

- Do you have problems owning your time? Learn to prioritize by identifying the urgent versus the important tasks. Use a separate To Do List, and practice the “Inbox Zero” technique: don’t let emails consume your time, and don’t get caught up in a situation where your inbox becomes your todo-list.