So far in the series I have been showing you the steps to take in order to learn a new superpower, the power of concentrating on one thing for at least an hour.
Why? Because that is where all the quality work get's done, whether you're an accountant or an artist, being able to concentrate on one important task for long periods of time, will get better results than those gained from sporadic work.
Yet fewer and fewer people have the ability to do this, instead most people need to fill each waking moment with a tweet, text, scroll, email, TV show, Youtube clip, absolutely anything so that they don't have to spend a single microsecond alone with their own thoughts.
This means that if you dedicate yourself to increasing your power of concentration, not only will you be at a supreme advantage in the workplace, you will be looked upon as someone of value, somebody who posses a vanishing skill, a dying art . . .
Training
OK we're going to discuss two methods which will definitely up your concentration. I am a big lover of self-experimentation, so I can vouch for the techniques I cover below and throughout this mini-series.
The one thing I will say is that they take dedication and determination to carry them through, without those two things, they won't work. So if you're the type of person who expects stuff to just work like magic, you will be sorely disappointed.
However if you are the kind of person who enjoys a challenge and is also into self-improvement, then you're in for a treat.
Internet Breaks
Let's start off easy; it is clear that the main source of our distracted lives is the internet. Whether it be on our phones or desktops the web is ever present and ever accessible (certain regions excluded).
Step 1:
Have one day offline per week, do not go online for anything, that includes your phone and home computer, or anyone else's for that matter. Depending on your current level of internet use, this could prove easier-said-than-done, so let's look at how to make it easier.
- Prepare - Once you have picked your day, make sure that you don't leave anything "urgent" (quotations explained later) in your inbox.
Also make sure that you will not be called into action for anything, so for instance perhaps there is something you said you'd check for someone on Amazon when you get a moment, make sure that moment isn't on your internet sabbath day.
Hopefully by this time you have read Part 2 of this series and you have already got rid of all notifications on all devices. If you are crazy enough not to have followed this advice, please do so now, no internet means no tempting messages getting beeped at you.
- Be flexible, plan a second day in the week as well, this way if something calls and you just have to be online, you already have a backup plan (which you'll stick to!)
Stare At The Wall Breaks
I'm serious, you need to be able to just sit and do nothing and feel comfortable with that. The reason so many of us can't stay off our phones and social media, is because we have conditioned ourselves to get a little hit every time we complete an action on one of these platforms.
So our brains give us a little bit of a dopamine hit which lasts seconds, and then we want another one. This is because of the discomfort we feel when we're doing nothing.
The only way to reverse this is to actively do nothing! No phone, no glancing at an email, nothing, turn off the phone, disconnect the door bell and sit for ten minutes staring at the wall.
This is a form of meditation, but more to the point, it is letting your subconscious mind know that you are fine with not having to fill your time with a digital interface.
Meditate
I have written a lot about meditation and flowstate in the Incredible You! Series, you would do well to take a look at a couple and get some techniques to practice.
Here I will simply say that in your stare-at-the-wall-breaks, try and focus your mind on one mundane fact around you, whether it's that stain on the ceiling, the sound outside the window, or your breathing.
Keep your focus on that one thing for as long as possible, when you lose focus, simply bring it back. Start on 5-10 minutes, increase each day by a minute, till you get to a time that is long, but practical in the context of your life.
Incredible You! - A Superpower You Can Learn
Incredible You! - A Superpower You Can Learn - Part 2 Beating Distraction
OK FOLKS, THIS HAS GONE ON LONGER THAN EXPECTED! HOPE YOU'RE STILL CONCENTRATING!! IN THE NEXT ONE I GIVE YOU THE FINAL PIECE OF THE SUPERPOWER PUZZLE. HOW FOCUSED ARE YOU?
AS EVER, LET ME KNOW BELOW!
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