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How to Focus
! April, 2013 " 36 Comments

I spoke at an event recently about learning and my MIT Challenge. The talk
about which memory and insight-building methods I found useful during m
experiment.

After the talk, one of the audience members came and asked me whether I f
success of the project was mostly due to efficient learning methods or hard

This reminded me of the first weeks of the challenge. This was when I was
worried that the project may be impossible to complete, so I put in a lot of e
wanted to go somewhat faster than scheduled, to give me a bit of slack as I m
harder courses. Mostly I wanted to convince myself that the project was doa

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 The schedule I adopted was pretty simple: wake up at six, work until six. I u
took two twenty minute breaks plus a twenty minute break for lunch. In to
around eleven hours of work each day, six days per week, for the first three
slowly eased back on the schedule for the following nine).

My goal would be to finish the lectures of a class in 2-3 days. A class usually
hours worth of lecture content, so this meant watching about 18 hours in o
You can squeeze that into 11 if you play it back at 1.5-2x the speed.

Reflecting on this, I wagered it was mostly hard work.

Focus is Paramount
The difficulty isnt putting in the time. Anyone can force themselves to sit i
and study all day. The hard part is sustaining focus.

Focus matters more than time spent. Most tasks can be completed in a fract
their normal time with complete focus. This is especially true for learning w
the most efficient methods also tend to be the most mentally taxing.

Focus matters more than raw effort. The sun cant burn paper without a len
its rays. Similarly, you can burn yourself out working on a project, but if tha
isnt focused, you wont make tremendous progress.

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 I dont think I need to preach this point. When Ive asked readers what thei
obstacle to learning is, the number one answer is always focus. Focus is esse
it is also incredibly hard to do.

Learning to Focus from Meditation

Focus is difficult, but it can be learned. I dont think I could have completed
Challenge, if I hadnt learned the skill of focusing. Some may find it easier th
others, like all things, but I believe anyone can get better at focusing throug

I became convinced that focus was learnable when I first studied meditation
from an expert meditator, but what I gleaned from my early practice attemp
ago, was that focus can be trained.

Many forms of meditation are based on the idea of mental focus. Some have
focus on a particular sound or concept to quiet your mind. Others have you
intense visualization which, with practice, can push you into a semi-dreaml
as you force out the sensory input of the outside world.

I dont meditate much these days, although I have nothing against the pract
do believe being introduced to meditation gave me the conceptual tools for
focus in other areas of my life.

For anyone who is interested in improving focus, Id try doing a bit of basic

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 on meditation. Transcendental seems to be quite popular, but I havent pers
tried it so I cant vouch for it. When I started I just picked a few random bo
the library and tried out a couple methods for free.

I dont think its the meditation itself which helps with focus. Meditation is
inwardly-focused activity which is very different from the outwardly-focuse
most people want to be able to focus on. But learning a couple breathing tec
and methods for focusing inwardly, they give you a sense of what is require
focusing in your work.

Practicing Focus
The first feeling I had when starting to meditate was how boring it was. Sit
awake, eyes-closed in a quiet room, I felt intensely restless. I wanted to get u
doing something and my mind felt like an uncontrollable flow of thoughts,
constantly jumping from topic to topic.

They teach you when meditating to ignore this feeling. Not to suppress tho
to just let them float by without jumping on them. Eventually, you get into
desired meditative state, which depends on the style of meditation youre tr
practice.

I think this is strongly analogous to focus in your work. When youre sittin

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 on a particular project, you feel restless. You want to check something on F
read a blog article, check your email or listen to music.

Following the same analogy, however, I think you can continue a meditativ
work by learning, not to suppress those feelings, but just to ignore them. Ev
you can cultivate mental stillness and allow yourself to focus on what you n
work on.

A difference between meditation and focus, however, is mental engagemen

find meditation to be relaxing, but focus is draining. Practicing focus is mor
mixture between meditating and endurance running.

Mastering Focus
The unfortunate part is that the only way to get good at this is through prac
like strengthening a muscle, focus can only be improved by doing it more.

The two methods Ive found helpful for practicing focus are cutting distract
setting up time blocks.

Eliminating distractions is the most obvious way to improve focus. When I

preparing to write an article, Ill often sit in a chair with a blank document f
minutes as I think through possible ideas to write about. No music, no inter
phone.

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 The best way you can help your focus training efforts is to purposefully elim
distractions. This way the only enemy you need to combat is the distraction
own mind. Meditative techniques can help a lot with those.

The next strategy Ive found effective is to clearly delineate chunks of time f
The problem many people have with focus is that they dont establish which
are focus times and which are not. By setting up a particular set of hours in
where you dont allow interruptions or distractions, you can get a lot more

All training should be progressive, so note how long you can sustain your fo
record it and then aim to slowly improve on it. If you can only hold your fo
reading a book for twenty minutes, thats fine. Try to go for twenty-five ne

Limits to Focus
I dont believe a persons ability to focus is perfectly mutable. Youll still nee
and youll still need succumb to distractions. That doesnt negate the utility
practice, just in the way that the human body puts limitations on maximum
doesnt mean you cant get stronger by lifting weights.

I believe the real value of focus is that you save time. Learning to focus mea
need less time to get the same work done. Although my MIT experiment w
difficult, I point out that I still had every evening off and I always had one d

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Page 6 of 14
 week where I didnt do any work. Focus may be difficult, but I believe it is f
liberating than the alternative.

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36 Comments Scott H. Young Blog

" Recommend 3 Share

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 Join the discussion

Lauren I. Ruiz
10 months ago
I'm a freelance editor of books and posts and such, which means I manage my own time. Focus = essential
you charge clients by the hour as I have started to do.

On a related note, I keep hearing about the benefits of meditation. Maybe I'll crack soon and try it steadily
rather than for five minutes every six months or so---my current routine. Haha!
Reply

Danny Turner
2 years ago
There is a perpetually free class on Coursera called Learning How To Learn. It introduced me to the idea of
timer for 25 minutes, focusing intently at the task at hand with all distractions eliminated, then taking a sh
the end. I have recently started a project with many similarities to the MIT Challenge, though not as ambit
to balance a full time job, and have found it extremely helpful. The key is turning off every device or page th
possibly send an alert or other type of Ping.

That course is where I first heard of Scott by the way.

3 Reply

Max
3 years ago
Wow! I like this article of 'HOW TO FOCUS' why? it's because I have got new things that I almost need in m
speaking, we to focus if we to get something in our life.

Thank you very much

Reply

jane
4 years ago
ive read this at a point in life were focusing was becoming really challanging 2 me. but i thank you for the a
me a way foward and i hop il not have the sam problem next year same day.

im greatful scott.
Reply

Karen

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 4 years ago
Nice artlcle. I would like also your thoughts on how to get thru the business day with 250+ emails coming a
with half of them requesting immediate responses/meeting requests/changes to meeting times, etc.
emails, and nowadays, no one talks, calls or put in face time. It is all tapping on the keyboard and if you mi
note that does need an urgent/important reply, it is presumably your fault for not reading it or getting to it
1 Reply

Scott Young
4 years ago
MichaelK,

This isn't meant to say that such focusing sessions are ideal. In my case, they were necessary, but most of t
aren't. My hopes with the article was to convey that improving focus is possible.

-Scott
Reply

Paint
4 years ago
Hi Scott,

This post really struck a chord with me, thanks so much!

Your ability for focus is impressive--11 hours a day!
I was wondering, though, how do you manage with the more trivial aspects of life in those heavily focused d
prepare meals in advance? Do you stay at home? Skip exercise? I'm just curious.
Thanks a lot and keep inspiring us.
1 Reply

Daniel
4 years ago
I've been telling people to meditate forever. It really does help a lot! I've been practicing Zen for years and
push most thoughts out of my head when I want, and focus on my objective. Very very helpful. Thanks Sco
Reply

PB
4 years ago
Nice article Scott! I have a question, how to assess our own capacity? Does human mind has limitless capab
can we turn impossible in to possible by Focus?
1 Reply

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 Jack
4 years ago
I think learning to focus is something that could be mastered, but can be challenging since it requires alot o
discipline, self modivation and will power to be able to see the possible results. However it is possible to tra
to do that. After reading Scott H Youngs blog on How To Focus i soon realized that this involves relaxing th
has also recommended meditation the idea of improving mental focus.

I also believe meditation helps to get rid of what you are constantly thinking about to get rid of distracting
to be able to give your own personal time to yourself to appreciate every moment, to relax the mind, and fr
from being the slave.

We could possibly eliminate room distractions, but also our mind distractions which can be hard to defeat.

If you want to save time when doing a task requires alot of scheduling skills, so you will not fall in a time la
be left behind which causes more stress, distractions and no modivation. The task will require more effort.
will be going through the hard ships. This would not happen if you think and go back, if you would try to do
thing differently, and later regret that thought.

The idea behind this is to be devoted to your self, try to eliminate the distraction from yourself. If you are s
which is done all by your self, than focus on your self. The experience would be better compared to working
party of 6 people including you. Where you could only get 16.67% exp. The percentage is not really an estim
realize the time it could take for you to get the task done as a group it would be slow, depending on who yo
see more
with. Do not forget that different people learn at different rates, and if it is with six people often there are d

and if it isReply
with your friends they might talk about some other topic that it unrelated to your task. Therefore
experience might not be there because you copy, there going to faster or either distracted.
bunyon
I think4some people choose group study and some do not so it depends on you. Group study could be very e
years ago
your not
sigh needsevenonmeditation
a task, it could behelp
could possibly
me todone
learnfaster with
python team work.
scripting......sadly I have to go all out...
areReply
If you doing a task for school, you could get help from a tutor you get 50% each. If the tutor could possi
your schedule, and with your scheduling where both members in this party will benefit 50% of experience.
MichaelK
tutor is quite good since the work can be done faster but at a 50% rate depending on how much help you ge
4 years ago
on the work done which is not focused on you.
Focusing for 11 hours with three 20 minute breaks - this sounds like a science fiction.
Using a check-list, would also help you focus on getting the task done just by ticking off every task you com
When I sit through a technical lecture at a university, I'm having a hard time to stay focused for more than
Even
Keep when
a timethere's
log, byno distractions.
writing the startEven
and when thetime
the stop professor
of eachisactivity
good. Even if the material is interesting. Eve
you do.
after a good sleep, and if I ate good food (no energy boosters). After 30 minutes, my focus drops somewhat
Have a calender
probably and minutes
need a few plan yourtodays
get itahead. Youitcould
back, but make
will be yourAfter
harder. own time table/time
another schedule
30 minutes of theand find th
lecture, I'm
for studying
done, when your
I've expended toomost
muchproductive.
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this blog is Iabout
and need focus what
a break. if your
Then, schedule
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to p
possible
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of my you to back,
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onIacan
tasksitwithout
throughthe necessary
another training,
lecture of theprobably not. (75min), but at the end o
same duration
lecture I will be pretty tired. A third lecture after 15 min break would be a waste of my time - I would need

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Page 10 of 14
 lecture I will be pretty tired. A third lecture after 15 min break would be a waste of my time - I would need
longer break (e.g. 1 hour lunch) in order to regain enough strength to maintain my original focus througho
lecture.

I mean I can push myself to do more, but my productivity would be miserable. Perhaps someone (like Scot
just like someone is a naturally better runner than me.

I use Pomodoro technique, and I believe it's a more realistic and effective schedule for people like me (25 m
min break, repeat 3 times and take 20 min break, repeat 2-3 times and call it a day).
Reply

VamosArnold
4 years ago
Great article! I'm going to a Vipassana meditation retreat at summer, I will improve my focus a lot in those
Reply

Raindrop11
4 years ago
You could also force yourself to focus when talking to others
Reply

Nahyan
4 years ago
Thanks for the great article Scott.

Immediately after reading I re-visiting an old tactic to work off a desktop stopwatch to schedule "focus zon
Remain single-focused on one task. Gonna do more of that.

-Nahyan
Reply

Scott Young
4 years ago
copycaT,

I make a point in the article that some people will learn focus better than others, as well as the imperfect m
focus, so the point was not forgotten at all. The analogy between muscular development and focus is an im
but I believe it holds merit in the way that I described (progressive training being effective).

-Scott
Reply

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 Reply

Peter
4 years ago
I totally agree, there are many spill over benefits from learning meditation among these a sharper mind, w
invaluable. For example, some time ago I wrote about mindful language learning.
Reply

Peter
4 years ago
Love this article Scott. The value of this subject to me made it easy to focus on it. Thanks a lot!
Reply

Jez
4 years ago
Well said. I wish more people would "get it" that focus is basically what life is about. It's when people lack f
drift and when they fine-tune focus tightly, they live wonderful lives.
Reply

Dwayne On Inspirational Quotes

4 years ago
Solid read! I have up a lot on focus and from what I can gather it is something that is practiced and master
Kinda like a muscle it needs to be worked, created and stretched.

I'm like you, when I sit down to do work I turn everything off and give myself a solid hour. (lots of studies h
concentration drops 20% between the 50min and 60min mark, and I would agree)

But eventually my focus drops and I feel it. Usually after 9hrs of working.
Reply

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