{"id":6501,"date":"2016-09-06T07:48:25","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T14:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/?p=6501"},"modified":"2018-03-29T13:04:59","modified_gmt":"2018-03-29T20:04:59","slug":"rl-lesson-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/06\/rl-lesson-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Lesson #1: An Unusual Approach to Improve Your Ability to Focus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note: This is the first lesson in a multi-part series for learning faster. The other lessons will only be sent out to newsletter subscribers, so if you’d like to get the other lessons as they appear, be sure to subscribe here<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There are a few core skills that, if you can improve them, can multiply your efforts in almost everything else you do.<\/p>\n

Not all skills are like this. Being able to play the flute might be nice, but it isn\u2019t going to help much with helping you lose weight or getting a promotion.<\/p>\n

Core skills, like goal-setting, being organized or communicating well, can have enormous spillovers. When you get a little better at that one skill it can be applied to many different areas of life.<\/p>\n

Being able to focus is one of these core skills. In this email, I\u2019m going to share an unusual way of thinking about focus that can help you get better at it.<\/p>\n

Should You Take an Outside or Inside View?<\/b><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s two ways to approach improving your ability to focus. One is what I call the \u201coutside view\u201d. This is to try to improve your focus by constraining your environment. Eliminate distractions, turn off the phone, block the internet with apps like LeechBlock<\/a> or better yet, don\u2019t use a computer at all.<\/p>\n

Another example of an \u201coutside\u201d strategy is the Pomodoro Technique. That\u2019s where you decide to only focus for twenty minutes before taking a break, and you set a timer to tell you when to stop. The timer forms a constraint on your environment, so it\u2019s easier to commit to focusing.<\/p>\n

These strategies are all work. But they\u2019re also probably the advice you\u2019ve heard thousands of times before, so I wanted to share an alternative set of focusing tactics you may not have tried. These work in conjunction with \u201coutside\u201d strategies, so the best approach is to use both.<\/p>\n

What are “Inside View” Tactics?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The \u201cinside view\u201d isn\u2019t focused on changing your environment or external constraints. Instead it\u2019s about paying attention to the subtle conversation you hold in your head while you\u2019re focusing. By paying attention to this, and changing the script, you can extract more focus from your limited time.<\/p>\n

This approach is very similar to what Buddhist monks often use when meditating. Meditation is a mental state very similar to focusing, however the object of focus usually isn\u2019t a task, but your breathing, thoughts or consciousness.<\/p>\n

One of the challenges of meditation is constantly being distracted by your own thoughts or impulses. It can feel almost like an itchy feeling where you constantly want to divert your attention onto some stream of thinking, worry or daydream.<\/p>\n

This feeling, unsurprisingly, is very similar to what it feels like to be distracted when trying to focus on work. Although, occasionally, the impulse to move away from task at hand is caused by the environment\u2014a ringing phone, a car siren in the distance\u2014more often the distraction comes from within. It\u2019s our own itchy feeling to escape whatever we\u2019re doing and check Facebook, text a friend or pop open our email that pulls us away.<\/p>\n

This problem also explains why, for many people, they can\u2019t focus even when they pick a distraction-free work environment. Because the distractions are coming from inside your mind.<\/p>\n

Tools for Combatting the Mental Itch to Distract Yourself<\/b><\/h2>\n

The first step to solving a problem is to properly understand it. So what actually happens, inside your head, when you lose focus?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re anything like me, usually your focus slips without you realizing it. You notice your eyes have been moving but you haven\u2019t actually been paying attention to the book you\u2019re reading. You start thinking about some other issue in your life and realize you\u2019re not actually working.<\/p>\n

At some point, sometimes only a few seconds into your distraction, you catch yourself being distracted. This often comes with a wave of guilt over feeling like you should be working hard, but you\u2019re not. Other times, the object of the distraction itself, seems to immediately demand you take action\u2014\u201cI should really check if so-and-so messaged me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve often found, when you catch your attention slipping, there is a strong urge to stop with the task you\u2019re focused on. You may feel guilty or frustrated. This may spin into a feeling that now isn\u2019t the best time to work, that you really need a break or that it isn\u2019t worth working on anyways.<\/p>\n

How do you overcome this urge?<\/i><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found that one of the best strategies is to copy what meditators do. Recognize that getting distracted is normal, and instead of getting mad at yourself, just allow your focus to drift back to what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

It sounds simple, but amazingly, it often works quite well. By expecting that you\u2019re going to get distracted, and simply allowing yourself to drift your focus back, you can often break the spell of a momentary distraction.<\/p>\n

But what if that still doesn\u2019t work, and twenty seconds later, you\u2019re still itching to quit?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found there\u2019s a good multi-stage self-talk habit I\u2019ve created which helps me deal with it.<\/p>\n

Stage 1: Drift back your focus naturally, no pressure to get work done<\/b><\/h3>\n

The first impulse I get to quit, I just remind myself what I\u2019m doing and lazily return my focus back to the task. How you treat yourself here is important. If you chastise yourself or get angry, like a boss yelling at his employee to quit daydreaming, you\u2019ll only exacerbate the frustrated or guilty feeling you have for not working hard.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if you treat your attention like a lost child who gently needs to be guided back to the task at hand, you\u2019ll feel much better and focus can resume shortly.<\/p>\n

Stage 2: Negotiate a future break<\/b><\/h3>\n

Sometimes the gentle prodding isn\u2019t enough. Your mind keeps flitting away from what you\u2019re doing and you can\u2019t help but get frustrated.<\/p>\n

Here, what you can do is negotiate a future break with yourself. Glance at a clock or timer and tell yourself that if you\u2019re still unable to focus and it\u2019s after some period of time in the future (say 5-10 minutes), you\u2019ll allow yourself a short break. This can often reduce the feeling of being trapped in this semi-frustrated, distracted state of mind.<\/p>\n

Stage 3: Take a smart break<\/b><\/h3>\n

Very often, ten minutes will pass and you\u2019ll be back in the flow of working and you won\u2019t need the break right at that moment.<\/p>\n

But, if the time does pass and you still find yourself itching to quit, a good solution is to take a \u201csmart\u201d break. Smart breaks are activities that are relaxing, but unlikely to suck you into themselves. Going on the internet isn\u2019t a smart break, because it\u2019s very easy to get pulled in and find it hard to switch back to work when you need to.<\/p>\n

Good smart break ideas include: going for a short walk, getting a glass of water, sitting with your eyes closed or doing pushups.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/b><\/h2>\n

Training your ability to focus isn\u2019t easy. However, sometimes just applying outside-view tactics isn\u2019t enough because they don\u2019t tackle the real problem\u2014distractions coming from inside your own mind.<\/p>\n

Making yourself feel guilty or frustrated often only make things worse. Better is to gently guide your mind back on task. If that still doesn\u2019t work, negotiate a future break time. If the time elapses and you still can\u2019t focus, take a smart break, rather than one prone to distraction.<\/p>\n

Above all, practice this skill. New meditators can only sustain the posture for several minutes, while experienced practitioners can meditate for many hours at a time. So it is with focusing, you need to build your ability over time. If you try these methods and can’t go very long yet, don’t worry. With more practice you can stretch it longer and longer.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it for today\u2019s lesson.<\/p>\n

Next lesson, I\u2019m going to share the two most effective learning strategies, as found by a comprehensive meta-analysis of various learning techniques. Stay tuned! (Want to get the next lessons? I won’t be sharing them here, you’ll need to join the free newsletter<\/a> to receive them)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note: This is the first lesson in a multi-part series for learning faster. The other lessons will only be sent out to newsletter subscribers, so if you’d like to get the other lessons as they appear, be sure to subscribe here. There are a few core skills that, if you can improve them, can multiply […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3,680],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6501","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-personal-development","7":"category-nc-productivity","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLesson #1: An Unusual Approach to Improve Your Ability to Focus - Scott H Young<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/06\/rl-lesson-1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lesson #1: An Unusual Approach to Improve Your Ability to Focus - Scott H Young\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Note: This is the first lesson in a multi-part series for learning faster. 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