[5 Tips to Improve Your Concentration]

F = Five More Rule

There are two kinds of people — those who have learned how to
work through frustration, and those who wish they had. From now on, if
you’re in the middle of a task and tempted to give up — just do FIVE
MORE.

Read five more pages. Finish five more math problems. Work five more minutes.

Just as athletes build physical stamina by pushing past the point
of exhaustion, you can build mental stamina by pushing past the point
of frustration.

Just as runners get their second wind by not giving up when their
body initially protests, you can get your “second mind” by not giving
up when your willpower initially protests. Continuing to concentrate
when your brain is tired is the key to S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your
attention span and building mental endurance.

O = One Think At a Time

Samuel Goldwyn said, “If I look confused, it’s because I’m
thinking.” Feeling scatter-brained? Overcome perpetual preoccupation
with the Godfather Plan — make your mind a deal it can’t refuse. Yes,
the mind takes bribes. Instead of telling it NOT to worry about another,
lesser priority (which will cause your mind to think about the very
thing it’s not supposed to think about!), assign it a single task with
start-stop time parameters.

For example, “I will think about how to pay off that credit card
debt when I get home tonight and have a chance to add up my bills. For
now, for the next thirty minutes from 1-1:30 pm, I will give my complete
focus to practicing this presentation so I am eloquent and articulate
when pitching this proposal to our VIP clients.”

Still can’t get other concerns out of your head? Write them down
on your to-do list so you’re free to forget them. Recording worrisome
obligations means you don’t have to use your brain as a “reminder”
bulletin board, which means you can give your undivided attention to
your top priority task.

C = Conquer Procrastination

Don’t feel like concentrating? Are you putting off a task or
project you’re supposed to be working on? That’s a form of
procrastination. R. D. Clyde said, “It’s amazing how long it takes to
complete something we’re not working on.”

Next time you’re about to postpone a responsibility ask yourself,
“Do I have to do this? Do I want it done so it’s not on my mind? Will
it be any easier later?” Those three questions can give you the
incentive to mentally apply yourself because they bring you face to face
with the fact this task isn’t going away, and delaying will only add to
your guilt and make this onerous task occupy more of your mind and
time.

Picture your mind as a camera and your eyes as its aperture. Most
of the time, our eyes are “taking it all in” and our brain is in
“wide-angle focus.” We can actually think about many things at once and
operate quite efficiently this way (e.g., imagine driving down a crowded
highway while talking to a friend, fiddling with the radio, keeping an
eye on the cars beside you, and watching for your exit sign.)

What if you want to switch to telephoto focus? What if you have
to prepare for a test and you need 100% concentration? Cup your hands
around your eyes so you have “tunnel vision” and are looking solely at
your text book. Placing your hands on the side of your face blocks out
surroundings so they are literally “out of sight, out of mind.” Think
about the importance of those words.

Want even better news? Does the name Pavlov r-r-r-ring a bell? If
you cup your hands around your eyes every time you want to switch from
wide-angle to telephoto focus, that physical ritual becomes a Pavlovian
trigger.

Remember? Pavlov rang the bell, fed the dog, rang the bell and
fed the dog, until the dog started salivating as soon as he heard the
sound of the bell. Similarly, using your hands as blinkers every time
you want to narrow your focus teaches your brain to switch to “one
track” mind and concentrate on your command.

S = See As If For the First or Last Time

Want to know how to be “here and now” and fully present instead
of mindlessly rushing here, there, and everywhere? Frederick Franck
said, “When the eye wakes up to see again, it suddenly stops taking
anything for granted.” Evelyn Underhill said, “For lack of attention, a
thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day.”

I constantly relearn this lesson. One time I was giving my sons
their nightly back rub. Although I was sitting right next to them, I
might as well have been in the next country because I was thinking of
the early morning flight I needed to take the next day and wondering if I
had packed my hand-outs, if my ticket was in my purse, etc.

Suddenly, my unfocused eyes fell upon my sons and I truly SAW Tom
and Andrew as if I was looking at them for the first time. I was
immediately flooded with a sense of gratitude for these two healthy,
thriving boys. I felt so blessed to have been gifted with such wonderful
sons. In an instant, I went from being absent-minded to being filled
with a sense of awe and appreciation for their presence in my life.

Next time your mind is a million miles away, simply look around
you and really SEE your surroundings. Study that exquisite flower in the
vase. Get up close to the picture on the wall and marvel at the
artist’s craftmanship.

Lean in and really look at a loved one you tend to take for
granted. This will “Velveteen Rabbit” your world and make it come alive
in your mind’s eye.