Mastering Focus

Posted on May 07, 2024 by David Luscher, One of Thousands of Performance Coaches on Noomii.

I’m sure you’ve experienced a night of sleep where your mind just won’t quit. We wake in the middle of the night and find ourselves already engaged in an intense internal dialogue about problems we’re facing or subjects we’re passionate about. Try as we might to settle down and relax, our over-stimulated mind keeps chugging along. How can we make this seemingly uncontrollable process work for us?

Some of my best ideas and solutions to problems come to me first thing in the morning. Often, just as I wake up, my perspective seems clearer, and I see situations more accurately. Empowering thoughts flow easily.

It’s during these times that I need to control my focus. If I don’t, my mind will jump to new subjects at a shockingly rapid rate. Perhaps this is the conditioning of how we scroll our social media feeds. Regardless, without controlling my focus, I’ll lose the ideas that will best serve me and impede the flow state. Before learning to control focus, we must be aware of the distractions that most commonly serve as roadblocks.

FOCUS BLOCKERS

1. Worrying about your problems.

I come from a long line of worriers. The kind of people who feel that the more they worry and complain about their blown out-of-proportion problems that may never happen, the more in control they will be. This does nothing but distract us from finding solutions that will empower us. Focusing solely on the problem will only produce more fear.

2. Being busy is not being productive.

Have you ever worked for a boss who assigned tasks that weren’t worth much 5 minutes after you were done doing them? This small-picture thinking is very frustrating. Any activity without purpose is draining! Do you assign yourself similar tasks that distract you from life’s issues, so you don’t have to think about them?

3. Being down with O.P.P. (Other People’s Problems)

Other people’s problems don’t have priority over yours. Yes, in all relationships (business or personal) demands are made of us. However, if we’re not careful, certain people will shovel as much onto us as possible to avoid doing it themselves. Remember, just because an issue is important doesn’t mean it’s urgent. Set boundaries with these people and get them out of your head.

4. Always avoiding stress

We all have activities that provide us with a much-needed break—whether it’s catching up on our favorite TV show, scrolling social media for funny animal videos, or relaxing with a glass of wine. Taken in moderation, these activities provide a nice escape from our troubles. When we excessively indulge in these pleasures, we deprive ourselves of the genuine fulfillment we instinctively seek in life. Using them to recharge, then walking right back into the lion’s den and pulling up a chair is essential! Avoiding the problems only makes them worse.

HOW TO CONTROL FOCUS

Spend time each morning asking focus-based empowering questions. We evaluate everything in life through the questions we ask ourselves. When we consider questions that focus on solutions, we produce better answers. The more we do this, the more of a habit it will become. This isn’t a form of positive thinking. It’s a tool that clarifies for us what’s needed for success. Here are a few examples:

1. What result do I want to achieve from this situation?
2. Why is this result important to me?
3. Where can I find strategies and ideas to help me achieve the result I want?
4. What action can I take today that will produce the result I want?
5. Is this result possible?
6. Am I specific about what I want?
7. Do I want this result or does someone else want this for me?
8. Is there anything that’s stopping me from getting what I want?
9. Am I stopping myself from getting what I want?
10. Does this result serve a useful purpose?

Use this list to get started, then tailor the questions to your situation. They will help you evaluate the problem more clearly and provide a better perspective for your life.