Be Laser-Focused
How To Build Focus
3 Actionable Advice For Building Focus
In today’s increasingly high availability-of-distraction world, the ability to focus on one task and work on it until it’s executed is, without a doubt, one of the most valuable skills everyone wants. And the one who has this highly saturated focus can accomplish much more work than ordinary people. That’s why that skill is demanded in this world right now.
Those people who can focus for a long time weren’t born with this super ability. They do have to train themselves, too, before they reach that level. And don’t be mistaken; focus is a skill and can be strengthened like a muscle.
You only have to train your focus muscle daily in order to reach a high level of it.
So in today’s article, I’ll be talking about how to promote your focus so that you can get the deep-work state and get more things done quicker and faster.
Two Types of Focus
Before we dive into the topic, let’s talk about focus briefly.
There are two types of focus. The first one is scattered-focus & the second one is direct-focus.
• Scattered Focus
Have you ever cleaned the house while talking on your phone and cooking dinner? That is scattered focus; you are not doing only one thing. You are separating your focus into one to two things. And many of us do scattered-focus a lot. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, this can be harmful when the task needs full concentration, like studying, writing an essay, or working.
• Direct Focus
This is the opposite of scattered focus. You use this when you are doing something demanding. And this is the focus we need to train a lot. And it’s even better if it’s your habit. When you are in a direct-focus mode, you are not distracted, and your whole attention is on the work in front of you. You can get it done more quickly and efficiently in this state.
We need to focus more on direct focus rather than scattered focus.
Now that you know the fundamentals of focus, let’s talk about how you can achieve direct focus more often and remove scattered focus.
#1: Remove External Distractions
This is really detrimental when it comes to entering a deep-work state. You see, you can’t really focus on your work when there’s a TV turned on in front of you.
You can’t. Really.
You will eventually be sucked into the distractions no matter how hard you try.
Instead, get away from it. Make yourself inaccessible to those distractions. It is better to avoid them at all costs than resist the temptations of it.
Think about it like a battle. Your distractions can give you immediate pleasures that have no benefits in the long run. In contrast, the important things you have to do gives you delayed gratifications that will greatly profit you.
So, to win the battle against instant gratification, just clear them away. Put those far, far away from you so that you won’t be using any willpower to withstand those feelings.
When you remove and block yourself from those external distractions, you are making room for yourself to focus on your essential work.
- So, if your phone is distracting for you, turn on silent mode. Don’t let notifications steer you away from your direct-focus mode.
- If your workplace is distracting, clean and organize your room before you work. Studies have shown that it’s difficult to focus when your surroundings are messy.
- When your family is distracting, tell them politely that you are unavailable at a specific time. Let them know that, at certain times of the day, your door is open, and you will be available.
#2: Remove Internal Distractions
Even though you have totally eliminated all the external distractions, there’s still one thing that can still get you off from your focused state: your internal distractions. (thought, stress, mind-racing)
We, as humans, think a lot. While it’s good to think when you are generating ideas, it can be bad when you want to get into direct-focus mode. To do deep work, you must know how to calm your mind and remove distracting inner chatter.
One of the most effective ways to tame that inner chatter is by meditating daily. In my experience, whenever I realized I was distracted, I closed my eyes and meditated for only two or three minutes. And most of the time, my focus re-collects itself, and I can concentrate on my work again. It enables me to work with deep focus.
Meditation is also backed by scientific research that says it improves our focus and self-control, decreases inner chatter, and improves our happiness. All in all, meditation is one of the best ways to calm our minds and improve our focus dramatically.
Another way to limit your internal distractions is to write down your pop-up thoughts. When you write down your thoughts on a paper, you capture them. You don’t put these distracting thoughts in your mind. Instead, you send them to a paper in front of you.
- When you have to do something later today that is not related to the work you are currently doing, write it down.
- When there are some groceries you have to buy tomorrow, write it down.
- When there’s something you shouldn’t forget, write it down.
Your brain is a thinking tool, not a storage device — David Allen
What I like about that method is that it frees up my mental space and protects me from using unnecessary mental energy. This allows me to focus on the things that are more important.
Above all, by removing your internal distractions, you sharpen your focus and make it easy to get into deep work, ultimately allowing yourself to get more things done quicker.
#3: Use Pomodoro Technique
There are reasons why the Pomodoro Technique is very popular nowadays.
Although it is important to get into a focused state while you’re working, it’s hard for most people to keep on focusing for a very long period of time. Whether it’s scattered focus or direct focus, it’s exhausting. That’s why you need to un-stimulate your brain and take a break after working for a specific amount of time.
By taking breaks, you refuel your focus ability and mental energy, making you more alert and productive for a long time.
That’s where Pomodoro Technique comes into play. It allows you to focus intensely while giving you time to take a proper break.
I’m sure you’ve heard of it before, but I’ll go over it quickly.
- You pick a task that you want to do.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- When the timer’s up, take a break for 5 mins.
- Repeat
One thing I want to point out is that while taking a break, don’t do anything stimulating activities, like checking your phone and browsing social media. They drive surges of dopamine to the brain, therefore scattering your attention. Instead, try to do unstimulating activities, like meditating, taking a brisk walk, or taking a quick nap.
Take Action
Now that I’ve shared tips on how to promote your focus, it’s time for you to take action. Nothing I’ve mentioned above will work for you unless you apply them in your real life.
Therefore, as an action point for this article, I recommend you to apply at least two of these suggestions on limiting your external and internal distractions for your next working session.
Take action and reap the benefits.
