Focus And Its Missing Ingredient.

Focus more on your desire than your doubt and the dream will take care of itself.
Mark Twain

How is it possible to be focused and yet, still gain access to a broad overview of where you are?

You might automatically think of details when you think of focus. But, as you are dialling your observations inward and into a becoming more present, a larger bird’s eye view will disappear. Or will it?

Just as a drone can offer an expansive lay-of-the-land, it is possible to tap into that expansive presence while you focus and notice what your present placement in time and mindset is really offering. Use your senses to offer feedback on your focused moment. This includes sound, smell, touch as well as your intuition; how you feel “energetically” in your body, thoughts running through your mind and how you are being “pulled” and called to notice the moment.

Table of Contents

Rise above the conditions and conditioning.

When your phone chimes do you automatically answer it? Do you immediately look at the message? Do you think you have been trained and conditioned by your phone to shift your attention to “interruptions”?

We get used to interrupted attention, shorter bites of information and more quests to feed our thirst for a change from what we call “routine”. But, instead we are being conditioned by what plagues us. Sounds and expectation of an “answer”, attention and a confirmation of our “connectivity” we are are being moved into another addictive form. Progressively, messages pull us into its opposite when we become bored when “the ten second window of interest” isn’t being met.

This spin cycle is exhausting and wastes time. Days and weeks can go by if we can’t get a handle on our own attention span and learn to confront and heal our impulse to escape our conditions.

It’s natural to want to break free. But I can speak from my own truth on this , resistance is what is creating a weird type of self-imprisonment. Your inability to focus cannot be tamed by noticing it or by directing your attention to the fact that it’s blocking your progress. You need to break that cycle to change positively. You need to divert your focus and immerse it in something that truly serves you.

Distractions.

We can sympathize with one another that the distraction is being used to manage stress. But responding like a Pavlovian dog to any phone call or text is a time-pig that steals dreams and prevents us from healing ourselves completely.

By sitting still and expanding your ability to relax, you can naturally reset your ability to focus. It changes everything. This is how you break free from any electronic tether. This is how you empower yourself and make the most of your time by expanding the quality of it. And, feel more alive in it through being more present.

Feed your mind.

Literally consider feeding your mind. Explore micro and macro nutrients and the idea of high density foods. Many of these trace elements are what ignite the brain’s chemistry into high performance states and give you the extra power to expand and increase your focus. Experiment with different foods and meals and see what happens to your energy afterwards. You will notice automatically what gives you a boost or what makes you want to have a nap.

Many important nutrients can be found in fruits and vegetables. Any plant that has shoots, for instance, will have more concentrated minerals and trace elements in the stems than the flowering plant. For instance broccoli stems will likely have a higher concentration of minerals than the florets. Slice, chop and toss those stems into a stir fry and throw them into a smoothie to disguise them. All in the name of focus? And, for excellent health too.

Release stress.

What might be hellish for someone is another person’s high performance playground. You can use exercise and your own breath to self-monitor stress levels. And through your own inspired path can create more focus regardless of conditions. You just need to find something that you like and tap into that on a regular basis. Surprisingly, more pressure and demands, builds cognitive function and better focus. Always be learning. A little every day… and you can create your own superpower in focus.

Meditation:

Mediation can be explored with the objective to improve being more present and to create better observation skills. Just being more mindful can create a more skilled and focused mindset. It can also help you relax under pressure and move you in the right direction to reclaim your personal power.

There are more articles on this website that are related to high performance you might want to check out. Here are three suggestions:

Visualization.

Visualization is incredible for sharpening focus and especially, being able to expand your ability to notice details. I can’t promise that visualization will give you a photographic memory, but it will enable you to gather more details that will help you remember, recall and problem-solve. Here are three important articles about visualization and high performance states:

Memory.

Does a better memory automatically enable an improvement in focus? Many might tell you that the two depend on one another. From personal experience, developing focus has enabled an expanded version of memory. For instance, by being present you can “record” more about the moment. This sharpens focus and gives you more layers of experience of that moment. Whenever you are armed with more details, it is more likely you can remember something about an event or a subject you are wanting to remember. Therefore, being able to relax the body and become completely present might be the cornerstone for an excellent memory.

Because we are all unique, each person may notice something different that can trigger “recall”. And exactly what that trigger may be will depend on that person’s living perspective; how they are in the present moment. Can they notice X or do they instead see, Y? Are they distracted and disconnected from the present? It doesn’t matter as long as the bigger details are extracted and remembered. But chances are, if you are in “disconnect”, it will be a lot harder and you will start to believe and think you can’t remember things.

One solution is to immerse yourself in an”energetic” perspective. Your energy is incredibly powerful for drawing in more “sensory” data and will allow you to focus and remember. All it requires is for you to pay attention to how you feel.

What are you doing right now?

Close your eyes and then describe the objects that are to the left and right of you. Is someone there? What colour are their eyes or their clothing? Just stopping for a moment and noticing what is around you will help you sharpen your observation skills. This will, in turn, influence how well you can define the moment. With a few simple changes, it is possible to retrain the mind to sharpen its focus, widen its perception while allowing the mind to expand its attention span.

High performance “super highways”.

It is possible to enhance our performance and ability to focus by creating a super highway for mental performance. Use your imagination to create it. Visualize the mind creating a memory fast-lane and watch your body “catch up”. Believe it is possible and test it for yourself. Progressive and interesting results will begin to emerge. It might change the way you think about what is possible for you, regardless of age or past versions of yourself.

Listen to an excerpt from a visual mediation for Mental Clarity and Expanded Memory. SOUNDCLOUD

Deciding to focus.

Just deciding to focus will make a world of difference in the war against distraction.

Just say no to electronic distractions in blocked time periods. Turn off your phone or place it on mute. Try small blocks and gradually increase them. Set a timer and set a task to complete. Pay attention to that task. Deeply appreciate it and notice details and observe yourself completing it easily in less time. Give yourself a reward at the end of it. A coffee break, walk outside etc. Repeat this pattern.

Focus is learned. It is decided. It is practiced behaviour. It is a reflection of your health. Focus can be expanded through sharpening your mind with observations and tapping into your own energy. Consider how you feel, what thoughts are you are running and how you would describe being “present”. Focus may challenge your beliefs, your skill as a visualizer and be driven by the reward you receive from practiced “focus” sessions. But, making consistent effort to stand still and notice, will empower you to take back your time and massively impact productivity.

It may seem like an enormous task to JUST focus. If we wish to command more of our day and life with our own attention, we need to control it and expand it into our day. Even in small time blocks, we can smash through walls of distraction with short bursts of “focused mediation” or a short visualization session using your imagination. The wonderful thing is that we are our own rescuers. Simple , very small changes can bring “freedom”.

Have a liberating week!

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