I get a lot of comments from readers across my blog, YouTube channel, podcast, Facebook, and Instagram. One of the most common remarks has always been, “I can’t focus.”
If you feel the same, let’s do a quick mental exercise.
First, consider the fact that your focus is a skill you need to develop. Focus is not something you have, it’s something that you earn. Think of it like learning to play the piano.
If that’s the case, and it is, then you can improve your focus if you establish a focus routine. How do you do that? The same way you would design a program for learning to play the piano.
Tip #1: Define a set amount of time each day to practice the skill of focus. When I decided to get serious about this, I started with 30 minutes a day. Over the years, I’ve worked that up to 3 hours a day with practice.
Tip #2: Have specific exercises that test your focus and are at the appropriate skill level. It doesn’t make sense for you to read Being and Time by Martin Heidegger (a ridiculously difficult philosophical read). Instead, you should get a book just above your focus level. When I first struggled with my brain, I spent a lot of time with Harry Potter and Stephen King, both highly entertaining, easy reads. I still read books like this, especially if I feel very distracted and need something spicy to get the focus beams turned on.
Tip #3: Treat your reading time as a practice session. When your focus wanes, don’t get angry at yourself. If you make a mistake when practicing the piano, you take a deep breath, slow the metronome down, and try again.
Tip #4: That last tip is big. In music, a metronome is a device that clicks or beeps to help you keep time. You can speed it up or slow it down. If the piece is too hard to play at 200 beats a minute, slow it down to 125 beats a minute and give it another try. Still too difficult? Slow it down to 75 beats a minute. Once you find a speed you can play well, you can slowly speed up as needed.
When I lose focus in a book, it’s always because I’m trying to read too fast. When I force myself to slow down and practice my focus, the ideas on the page clarify – and that’s called getting better. You can improve your focus if you decide to treat it like a skill and take it seriously every day.
Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
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