From a guy who never stuck with anything.
A few correct simple actions, done well, will account for most of our success in life.
As someone in the process of ADHD testing, I’ve had my fair share of inconsistent effort and lack of focus. I can vouch for how chasing shiny objects leads to a life of loose ends and failed dreams.
But there is hope, and it lies in making lists, checking boxes, and developing our skill of focus.
For six months, I’ve made lists on my iPhone, checked off those boxes when completed, and written my goals by hand daily. Here are some positive changes I’ve noticed from developing focus in a usually scattered thought process.
Increases in productivity
When I’m focused on a task, I’m less likely to get distracted or waste time. This leads to increased productivity and efficiency, which helps me achieve my goals more quickly.
An example of this was my exercise program. I cut every exercise that didn’t push me closer to my ultimate goal of mobile strength. This meant that even when I was short on time, I could still do the things that moved the needle towards my ultimate goal.
Improvement in decision-making
When I focus on a task or problem, I analyze it more deeply and make better decisions.
This helps me make strategic choices that lead to success.
For example, choosing Medium as my main publishing platform for my writing. Once I doubled down on Medium, my results took off.
Enhancement in creativity
When fully engaged in a task, your mind enters a flow state where ideas and solutions come more easily.
This helps you generate new ideas leading to success.
An example of this was adding examples to this article. I sat here knowing the important points, and through focusing on the content and not jumping over to Twitter, I realized adding examples would be helpful additions.
And lastly, I’ll add one bonus benefit developing focus offers.
Increases in resilience
Maintaining focus in the face of challenges teaches me discipline and persistence.
The ability to focus fades when easy access to dopamine exists in such plentiful amounts. Our brains quickly jump off anything that requires mental work to feel good. Instead, we jump to social media, the internet, and streaming services.
It takes discipline and persistence to stick with hard things long enough to reap quality rewards.
But this is the way to overcome obstacles and ultimately succeed in the real world.
An example of this is my day job as an electrician. There are a lot of complicated machines to learn that need fixing when they break. Nothing can slow down production. In the past, I would feel the anxiety and look for a less stressful job. Now I buckle down, learn the hard stuff and feel at ease when disaster strikes.
Focus helps us stay on track, make better decisions, and tap into our creativity and resilience.
We have no control over a lot of chaos in the world. But the largest predictors of success that we do have control over are:
- Focus on the task at hand
- Long-term focus (commitment)
- Concentration
Focused attention, persistence, and concentrated effort are the master keys. These abilities are more important than our intelligence, income, amount and kind of education, type of occupation, and place of residence for determining career success, financial success, and health.
Our time on the planted is finite, and life is short, which makes focus and concentration so important. The simple fact is that without them, we won’t have the time and resources to accomplish or pursue our most precious goals.
And this is why the study of developing focus is my focus.
So meta right meow.
Thank you for reading. When my book is finished, I will email those on my email list here: https://raymondburton.com/7-c/