An exploration in becoming limitless – Part 3 – Focus
An exploration in becoming limitless – Part 3 – Focus
Introduction
(Intro reposted from part 1) Limitless is a movie starring Bradley Cooper, based on the novel Dark Fields. If you haven't already seen it it's well worth a watch for it's entertainment value if nothing else. It also calls on a deep desire within us to hack our physiological system and become somewhat super human. In Limitless the main protagonist, Edward Morra, receives a smart drug or nootropic called NZT48. Reluctantly he tries it, but after a couple of minutes his brain comes alive. The suggestion being that if we only use 10% of our brain NZT48 gives you access to 100%. Incredible powers of perception, analysis and memory. NZT48 literally makes people super human. So this is all fiction, but it sparked in me an interest in the optimal state of being. Building a life where you are sharp, aware and the absolute best that you can be all of the time. I'm interested in health and fitness anyway so it was really just an extension of that, although I made some discoveries along the way. While the obvious effects of optimal living are subtle, the long term resulting benefits are every bit as good as Edward Morra's experience.
Check out Edward Morra's first experience of the drug here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=xP-ZwmCPBAs
Limitless also has a spin off TV show, I can't say that I found it particularly inspiring, so I wouldn't bother, just go and watch the movie instead.
Part 3 – Focus – Get rid of distractions
Need to get something done but keep getting distracted? Having total focus is not easy, especially if it's a task that you aren’t looking forward to. Here are some tips to improve focus and get you into the habit of getting things done.
- Turn off background media – I sometimes work with the radio on in the background, but although a bit of background music and noise can be relaxing, it will do nothing to improve your productivity. If you need to get a task done it should be done in silence with no background music or noise. The silence will help you focus your mind and you will find that you will work faster with fewer mistakes.
- Eliminate background chatter and other distractions – If you work in a busy office where people are continually chatting it might be worth finding a quiet workspace when you really need to get something done. I never understand managers who don't allow their employees to work from home. With fewer distractions and noises, working from home can be the best place to get things done.
- Switch off digital notifications – Email beeps, text messages, Whatsapp, phone calls, facebook notifications, browser surfing, mobile phone – switch them all off. Digital notifications and distractions offer us a barrage of 'other things' to do when we should be concentrating. The only way to avoid distraction is to switch them off or close the apps that send you notifications.
- Work in an uncluttered environment – If your life is surrounded by clutter and mess you will not function as effectively as you would if you are working in a clean tidy environment. As in the movie Limitless, maintain an impeccable work area that is free from distractions. This will help you focus only on what you are doing. De-cluttering your life can also be a great way to free yourself of unwanted baggage and help you to focus on what's important.
- Breath deeply – If your mind is all over the place, take a few minutes to breath deeply and relax. Breathing deeply oxygenates your bloodstream and will provide your brain with sufficient oxygen to think more clearly on the task at hand.
- Get started – If you are putting something off, just get started on it. You don't necessarily have to finish it in one sitting, but getting started is often the key to focusing your mind. It is also the most difficult thing to do. Once you are started it will be easier to focus and continue.
- Practice meditation – Clearing your mind of clutter takes practice. Practicing meditation and being able to quiet your mind can help you focus on tasks that required your undivided attention.
- Take breaks – If you need to get something done, don't attempt to complete it in one marathon sitting. Take regular small breaks. This will help you to maintain concentration at a high level rather than letting it tail off.
- Set realistic goals – Goals are great but for daily tasks make sure that they are achievable. For long term goals by all means think blue sky but don't expect to write a book in 3 days. It might be possible but having a more realistic plan will help you feel encouraged and give you a sense of achievement when you accomplish small tasks. All of these small tasks and daily goals added up will ultimately lead to major achievements, so just keep at it and focus on achieving and completing the small stuff, with an eye on the bigger goal.
- Do one thing at a time - Perhaps most important when focusing is to concentrate on one thing at a time. Don't try to do everything at once. Break your goals up and segment them so that you can concentrate on each thing in turn without being distracted by other goals. You might have multiple goals that you want to achieve, but that doesn't mean you have to concentrate on them all at the same time. Focusing on one thing at a time will improve your productivity 10 fold.
As you train yourself to focus and prevent your mind from wandering you will get better at it and develop your focus so that it becomes laser like. When you get to that level you will be amazed at what you can achieve in shorter and shorter periods of time.
Previous limitless posts:
- Part 1 - Sleep - https://steemit.com/limitless/@unclehermit/an-exploration-in-becoming-limitless-part-1-sleep
- Part 2 - Removing crud - https://steemit.com/health/@unclehermit/an-exploration-in-becoming-limitless-part-1
Sources:
Daniel Goleman on Focus:
Hey there! Thank you for this. I always find the time to read a couple of what I think are both nice but important posts, before I start to work (If one may say that) and the day really sets its pace. I agree with a lot of your "schedule", maybe too strict or uptight for me. As an artist, my most important discovery was the fact that you don't have to say to people exactly what they should do, even less what they are doing wrong, instead you have to really think ahead and find something that they're going to relate to. Instead of mainly a dictatorship, because even though that sounds a little harsh it isn't. We're too used to rely on people, or asking others what to do and how to do it. And maybe that has helped a lot of people, but definitely not the more succesful ones (In terms of capital profit and career goals). The more ambitious type (you, me) is always ahead of the people that surronds him or her, and this is mostly because of both successes and failures in life, dissapointments as well if I may add.
What I'm trying to say is that maybe people like me will find this subject very important. To be always working as hard and effective as one could, but there will also be people like me thinking that this is a very mandatory and not that integral way of accomplishing things, getting them done. Specially the part in which you turn people to reclude themselves in the work they're doing, in complete silence one or many could really go crazy. The main part which I left open a couple of lines ago, was that as an artist and a musician, there are people that don't necessarily will succeed without sounds or let's not call them distractions, instead lets refer to them as "decisions". The main goal should be to make the best decisions and if you're taking these decisions for them, you're not letting the reader to make his own choice, nor to think about it as it should be, an improvement. Instead you're giving a sort of "script".
What I'm really trying to say is that I really like your approach. Even though I dissagree with a couple of parts, I think it's accurate and speaks of the fact that we put too many distractions in our lives (most of which aren't even from us, but from the world itself), and that we should definitely put more commitment in our activities, goals, and the way we manage but primarily plan them. One thing I would like to add is that as a writer, you can leave a part of your explanation for the reader to think, like I just did. I'm not trying to discuss nor dissagree with you, but instead trying to make a point and share a couple of ideas so we can both be sure that we're making the correct ammount of impact. In writing you always have to make that room for choice of thought to the public, because they are really what matter in your success. I think you're doing very great. And I'm grateful to be able to read your thoughts and advice. Cheers, have a nice weekend.
Thanks for your excellent comments and the time taken to respond. Yes you are right, once size doesn't fit all. I guess what I have failed to do is reference all of the research that I do into these areas and consequently a lot of what I write sounds like it's just my opinion or experience. It's not. Most of what I write about is fairly well researched. I could however be a bit less dictatorial in my tone which would certainly make the posts easier to read. I must say I don't spend long writing up posts, if an idea comes to me I tend to put it together straight away with more keenness to get the message out than tailoring and perfecting it. Anyway, I've upvoted your comment, it's good feedback. Thanks.
I agree that staying focus does play an important part for accomplishing what we want to succeed. I agree with most of the points stated as it is a general guides to help those who had difficulities staying focus. One should just modify and adapt according to their own personality. There is no one size fits all and everyone has different distraction in our lives. By highlighting general pointers, one who wants to stay focused can make use of your tips but should not follow blindly without identifying the main cause of their lost of focus. The root problem must still be identified for greater outcome. Thanks for posting as it is a useful article for anyone.
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by unc.hermit from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.