The Focus Problem

Most days, before I write I read a few different articles and newsletters to get my brain started up.

Pieces moving together in new, different ways helping me to get into a great spot to Write.

However, today nothing was working.

I tried to read one piece, and I could barely get 1 sentence into it.

I pulled out a newsletter, and got 2 sentences in.

Very quickly, I pulled out a few different options to read through, and was getting nowhere.

I was pushing to Focus, and couldn't lock it in.

Well, interestingly enough it was this Idea that struck me so powerfully today.

Focus is something that many people, if not all people, Struggle with in today's world.

I am no exception.

When I was young I was told I was "Borderline ADD/ADHD".

Basically, I was a year or two early from when prescriptions were handed out to anyone that had trouble with Focus.

So, for most of my life I struggled with Focus.

It is only made more difficult with the plethora of gadgets and apps that are also designed to steal our Focus, literally.

Not only designed for that though, but also designed to set off certain Neurochemicals to get us addicted to them, again quite literally.

In many ways, much of the world is designed to prevent us from being able to Focus.

This is extremely problematic for anyone who wants to Succeed at the highest levels.

There is only one Psychophysiological state to attain our best.

Flow States.

It is where we do our best work, and feel our best.

However, there is a common saying that goes with this state.

Flow follows Focus.

Whatever can keep your Focus is where you have the highest likelihood of getting you into Flow.

But if you can't keep Focus, you can't get into Flow.

If you want to achieve your highest levels of Success, you need Flow.

I'm sure you can see the problem now - No Focus, No Flow, No Success.

So how do you go from struggling with Focus to getting consistent Flow?

It's definitely something I struggled with answering.

Some days I still find myself struggling with it - I just spent about 10 minutes completely phased out before writing this sentence.

But I am definitely significantly better than I used to - it takes a lot of Focus to write over 300 days straight.

So what did I learn that allowed me to get into Focus more consistently?

I learned that Focus is a form of Habit.

Habits can be developed, can be changed, and can be improved on.

It takes time, but it can be done.

On average, it takes 66 days to form a Habit.

But for the best results, you also need to start Habits Small.

Focus a minute at a time.

Then a few minutes.

Eventually you get to an hour.

With an Hour under your belt, you can use that to form other Habits.

You then pick Habits that will lead you to the Success you want.

As that becomes a Habit, you can keep the Focus on that Habit.

This becomes the path that leads to the Flow Door.

Now, the Focus and Habit by itself doesn't necessarily open the Flow Door, but you need to get to the Door before you can open it.

The Path to the Door is not an easy one, there are many things that have been designed to prevent you from reaching the Door.

But it is worth it to pursue the Flow Door.

When you develop the Habit enough, it becomes easier to do the Habit than it is to not do it.

When the Habit leads to Flow consistently, even if you have a difficult day of Focus, like I have had today, you can still achieve your Goals.