How do you stay focused?
In a world of distraction, single-tasking is a superpower. -Tim Ferriss
We have so many options for activity and entertainment, all packaged in bite sized chunks, that we are in a wash of media and music and motion. They did a study (pre-COVID) on how many branded messages an American will encounter in a workday, on average (e.g. radio ads, Facebook ads, TV ads, billboards, etc.). The answer might be more than you think: over 5,000 advertising messages per day!
Lost in this sea of media, our ability to focus deeply on one task is atrophying. You are probably consuming a lot of content like this post. Hopefully they're thought provoking and engaging. but when is the last time you read a book? Or even a long article that took more than 10 minutes? When is the last time you took on an improvement project at home that would require weeks of work to complete? How long can you go, working on your book before you quit trying to write it? (If you're not working on a book, maybe it's the college degree you're trying to finish or the company you're trying to start or even just the weight you're trying to lose.)
Before you start berating yourself for being such a loser, let me remind you that being able to focus is a trainable skill. It's not complicated at all. The more you practice staying focused, the longer you will be able to sustain it. The problem is not that you're a terrible person. It's just that your "focus muscles" are out of shape.
This is not one of my natural strengths. I love variety and speed. I started writing at least 8 books before I finally finished one--and that one took 4 years because I kept getting distracted! When I first started listening to audiobooks, I couldn't go more than 5-7 min before my mind started to wander. I couldn't sustain my attention longer than that. But after several months, I could stay engaged for my entire 20 min commute to work. After 4-5 years, I got to where I could keep my mind locked in on a good audiobook for more than an hour while it played at 2x speed. Just practice. I know many others who have done the exact same thing with audiobooks.
Short bites are fun and efficient. But there is valuable depth in long form projects that take deep focus. Don't lose your ability to pour massive effort into something for a long time. Keep your focus muscles strong.
What longer project are you working on right now? How are you doing staying focused on it? Do you have any tips for me on how you keep yourself focused?