Hocus Pocus

I want you to stop whatever it is you’re doing right now, sit still, close your eyes and inhale for one second and exhale for two ten times. See, when you closed your eyes, it eliminates visual distractions; when you sat still, it relaxes your muscles (or at least most of them); when you took deep breaths, it set your mind to concentrate on that single task. That, my friend, is focus.

Today, the world creates an abundant source of ever-present noises, distractions, escape-from-reality spaces, and anything that gets your mind off from being, well, focused. That short exercise you did there (or not) was adopted from an interview with the one and only, Chris Evans. Essentially, when you learn to cancel off the outside noise and shhh…you hear the heart’s lub-dubs, the cool air flowing in and out of your lungs, and feel the earth beneath you, that’s when you become truly present. Beautifully put.

I think we can all agree that technology has integrated into our everyday lives. Musk once said that we’re all essentially cyborgs, requiring devices such as phones and laptops to carry out functions to make a living and a life out of ourselves. Whether it be creating a personal social media profile or an infographic report to present your analytical skills or ordering food on an app, it has become the norm in the digital age we’ve all been carved into. But technology can play out both ways: a companion or a foe. With readily accessible information and entertainment, it has seemingly become an indulging luxury rather than a tool to achieve whatever we aspire to have or become.

I think we can all agree that the only way to attain self-control over these things is through discipline and being consistent about it. James Clear, the author of the book: “Atomic Habits,” said that focus is the art of knowing what to ignore.

I particularly loved the fact that he used the word “art” when we hear the word itself; we think of things like paintings, museums, poetry, and all that jazz. Yet, we sometimes neglect the fact that even simple things like breathing controllably to calm the mind are art on their own.

Remember the short exercise that you did earlier? What was the one thing you centered your energy on? Yep, breathing. The same formula is very well applicable to all the different numbers in your daily lives, whether at school, work, or even in your workout sessions. We neglected the noise, specs of dust floating around, and unnecessary motions to execute what we set our mind on, creating a tunnel vision.

As a student in the middle of a pandemic, frankly, I’ve found it challenging to be “indistractable,” especially when my phone rests in the corner of my eye. It seems inevitable enough to want to scroll over social media, play a quick game, or watch some YT videos, but that was all in my head.

Once you say: “Alright, today I’m finishing my 1000-word essay,” this is where the mind-body connection molds and trains itself to remove any existing irrelevance, such as putting your phone out of sight and silencing all notifications, or keeping your pet outside your study room, or having that shot of espresso to channel all that energy burst into writing that piece.

“Pinpoint your distractors, and remove them.”

Like diamonds, we mold our optimum productivity under pressure, a pressure called time. It’s crucial to know how to leverage this pressure; too little, you end up slacking; too much, you get crushed. To balance this, I like to use what I call the 60/10 rule: for every 60 minutes of work, rest for 10 minutes.

By rest, I mean taking a short walk around the room, or doing a yoga stretch, or grabbing a cup of coffee to cool your head down. Here is where frequency outworks quantity; our brain can only take up and absorb so much information before it hardwires and breaks down. Knowing our limits is and when to rest is productive. It’s a lot like stopping at a gas station to refuel after a long drive. The same analogy applies to the brain’s capacity, so please, try not to burn yourself out (trust me, not pretty).

I’d like to share a few words of wisdom I got from Joe Rogan’s podcast episode with the all-time legend, Matthew McConoughey, and it goes like this:

"Working hard is important, but working hard for the right intentions is even more important."

The way I see it, I strongly feel it’s more about the why rather than how you work towards whatever goal you place. With technology evolving careers and making money-making possibilities endless, it’s so easy to get swayed by where the biggest buck pours out from.

Many fall into the trap of easy and immediate gratification. I mean, sure, even if you do get the money, great. But you have to really ask yourself: Is this truly something I see myself doing for 5, 10, or 15 years from now? If not, then you have to re-evaluate where you stand and find that burning flame inside you.

To me, it was writing. How did I know? I tried everything (and I mean every thing) to test out the different waters until I found the right stream to express myself and even make some form of income out of it. Is it a lot? Nope, not yet at least, but there’s not a single day where I’ve felt like I was working. That’s how powerful focus is.

I’ll close with something Muhammad Ali once said, “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it – then I can achieve it.”