Focus for Success

Weapons of Mass Distraction

We are living in a time of so many weapons of mass distraction. With calls, meetings and visitors and so many things to distract us online and in our surroundings and lives it has become increasingly difficult to complete even short tasks without external pulls. Add internal factors such as shoulds, shouldn'ts, limiting beliefs and fears to this and it’s easy to understand why over 50% of respondents to my recent twitter poll identified focus as their biggest challenge in reaching their potential in business. 

Focus

The best tool I have experienced to improve focus and productivity is meditation. There is often confusion about how to meditate but it is very simple. Meditation is focused awareness on something – whether that is your breath, an object such as a candle, or a sound used in mantra meditation. As we train our body for physical challenges and wellbeing through exercise, meditation is training for the mind making our mind strong, balanced and flexible.  Through meditation practice we strengthen awareness and focus for our work and daily lives.

There are many examples of successful entrepreneurs and personalities like Steve Jobs -  founder of Apple, Oprah Winfrey, Russell Brand or Jennifer Aniston whose daily meditation helps them maintain balance, connect with their inner fire and boost creativity.  

 Here are 5 simple and practical tips that have greatly helped me in my own work, in my work with others and in my practice:

 5 Tips to enhance your Focus:

1. Meditate:  As running training will prepare you to run on any surface and any distance, practicing the practice of awareness in meditation will train you to be focused in all areas of your life.  Meditation works best when practiced daily. 
2. Breathe and feel alive:  Breathing is the first thing we do when we are born and the last thing we do before we die.  On average, we breathe 21,600 times a day.  Yet how many of us actually pay attention to the rhythmic movement which nourishes every cell in our body? A loss of focus is often synonymous with a physiological impact on our breath. Similarly a conscious focus on our breath saying in your mind “I am breathing in, I am breathing out” or walking slowly in time with your breath brings us back to the moment bringing us into focus so we can move forward productively.   We can only breathe in the present - we cannot experience the breath in the past or the future.   Focusing on your breath brings you into the present, builds awareness, is very grounding and ultimately trains you to focus on whatever you are doing.  
3. Acceptance:  If we don't accept where we are, it is difficult to focus.  Being someone that accepts life whatever is going on .....whether it is stormy, bright, thundery or calm is critical to good focus.   Acceptance does not mean agreement or support.  If there are things we are not digesting or accepting in our lives, it is important to take time to address and or make peace with them so attention can be fully focused in the present and not scattered throughout our past.   
4. Multi-tasking is over-rated:  While doing many things at once may seem like a good strategy for getting many things done, in the end it hinders us as we fail to fully concentrate on the tasks at hand and don't complete things. This has a knock on effect on our confidence and can feed a negative cycle of below par productivity. Today's list is not completed and tomorrow's gets longer.  Instead of trying to do many things at once it’s much more beneficial to complete important tasks and you’ll find an overall improvement in both your output, your confidence and your wellbeing.
5. Self care: To build and maintain top focus, we need to nourish ourselves in mind and body.   This means good diet and enough water, exercise, relaxation and sleep.  

Like anything, it takes time and practice to cultivate and create a habit of focus. Support from a boss, coach, mentor or peers can help us stay on track.  Joining a meditation group or even bringing meditation into the workplace can be very beneficial to strengthening focus. 

Interestingly, the most important fringe benefit of focus is happiness.   If you ask anyone you know when they were happiest most recently (try it) you will discover that they were immersed or focused in whatever they were doing.   There is perfect correlation between happiness and focus.  Does that mean that being focused will bring happiness?   This is what the yogis discovered thousands of years ago.  Why not try it and see!