The key to a focused mind
By: Isa Mamede
Tags: Productivity, Study, Attention, Focus

Photo: Maurício Mascaro | Pixels

It is not rare to hear someone complaining about not having enough time to do something or using it as an excuse for not achieving their goals. I have done it myself countless times. However, as Zig Ziglar once said: “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days”.

Some people accomplish great things in just one day while others can’t get the same results in a lifetime. This quality of getting more things done in the same amount of time is called productivity.

Most of us think that a higher IQ or the capability to manage time is the key to being more productive. Even though they are indeed important, there is a single thing that can beat both:

FOCUS

In the era of distractions, it seems to be one of the hardest skills to master. Nevertheless, improving your capacity to concentrate is far from impossible.

“Ineluctable modality of the visible.” So begin the deliberations of Stephen Dedalus in the third chapter of James Joyce’s Ulys­ses. “Signatures of all things I am here to read.” Albeit this chapter may appear as a soulful debate about prose writing, it is an exquisitely perceptive impersonation of a mind at work. Conscious of his consciousness, Dedalus controls his thoughts without reining them in. He’s simultaneously focused and un­focused. Ostensibly rambling sentiments, ideas and reminiscences combine into models, into literature.

Navigating between the complete lack of attention and blind focus, we find a state where gaiety and pensiveness ­intermingle. This unusual form of attention is called open awareness. As it lays amid two poles, it prevents us from both losing control over our thoughts and falling victim to narrowed vision, in which, similar to a visor, our focus prevents us from seeing not only distractions but also other ideas or paths.

Attentiveness is hardly natural. Like a muscle, to strengthen it, practice is required. Stay focused is an active choice that must be made whenever our minds start digressing. It is at this point that self-awareness is of extreme importance: we must perceive the distraction, redirect our attention back to the task and keep it there.

In the beginning, this act of self-control won’t be simple, yet as it is realized, it also becomes easier, until it converts into an unconscious habit. The challenging active decision shifts to the imperceptible urge of the soul.

In this tortuous journey through perfect focus, the ability to surpass the process of delayed gratification proves to be the key to achieving lasting results. The one who has the ideal attention is capable of aiming and visualizing long-term consequences instead of eagerly seeking immediate delight.

The concentration itself does not bring instantly evident outgrowths. Fortunately, just as focus, control over impulses is not intrinsic, it can be cultivated with everyday practice.

Moreover, in one of the letters he wrote to his son, Philip Stanhope, also known as Lord Chesterfield, advised: “There is time enough for everything in the course of the day, if you do but one thing at once, but there is not time enough in the year, if you will do two things at a time.” This simple statement contradicts the esteem for multitasking preached in modern society.

Notwithstanding this contemporary high praise for multitasking, researches have shown that such achievement is biologically unachievable. When executing more than one assignment at once, our brain simply switches quickly between the two different actions, instead of performing them simultaneously.

Furthermore, several studies conclude that multitasking diminishes productivity when compared to sequential execution. Each time we shift from one activity to another, the attention that was built to perform the previous task is lost and it takes time to regain that former level of concentration. Also, during the swap, it is easier for our minds to start drifting toward distractions, leading us to lose control over our actions or thoughts.

Until this point, we’ve mainly focused on enhancing attention. Nonetheless, it is equally important to know when to lose it. As presented by Daniel Goleman in his book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, the stage of daydream can be quite beneficial if it is used wisely.

The great majority of the world’s brightest inventions were developed in woolgatherings. When we ramble we become immersed in the sensations of the body. Every feeling is emphasized as we get lost in the sea of thoughts. It allows us to see from different angles and that conduct us to splendid insights. However, one must be careful not to drown. By letting yourself be carried away by the wave of ramblings, even the most illustrious idea can be lost, and return to a state of consciousness becomes an arduous task.

Besides insights, daydreaming can provide us rest. As said earlier, focus is like a muscle, hence, to develop it, rest is as crucial as training. Recurrent mental deviation from a task is a clear sign that a pause is needed to continue with maximum focus. Successfully identifying these moments is vital for productivity. The ten-minute break required for brain recovery is nothing compared to the time wasted if one insists on completing a task while worn out. Something that is fulfilled within a few minutes when done with the supreme attention, takes hours to be accomplished in the state described above.

To summarize, there are three key steps to improve concentration. First, identify when your attention is floating and then re-focus on the main assignment. Second, perform only one activity at a time. Last but not least, know when to wander and unwind.

Finally, always remember that practice makes perfect and attentiveness isn’t different. A skill cannot be thoroughly acquired overnight, it takes time.