Remember to leave your physical eyesight upon the chosen object in front of you, and then practice shifting your attention. Do not strain. You cannot practice this exercise too much. Ideally, this exercise should be done prior to, halfway through and at the conclusion of your meditation. The bare minimum should be just prior to meditation.
Earplugs are a great tool for meditation.
The basic objective of meditation is to disengage from the physical world interface of the senses and redirect your attention inwards. Using a mantra is a common beginning technique. Pick an inspirational or meaningful phrase of 10 to 15 syllables. Repeat it over and over to yourself as you sit, audibly at first if necessary, then mentally. The content of the phrase is not important.