Learn to Focus

Being about to focus attention is a skill vital to top level performance. We know it’s near impossible to remain focused 100% of the time (indeed it would be unwise to try) so it is necessary to be able to re-focus effectively following periods of relaxation.

Focussing, as the word suggests, is the ability to direct your concentration like a laser beam on a goal or task, to the exclusion of other influences.

Like all other skills, your ability to focus will improve with practice.

Here are a couple of simple practice techniques that will help.

Music

We all like music. It really doesn’t matter what style you prefer, music is a fantastic medium to sharpen your focusing skills.

Most music is made up in tracks (or layers). By blending numerous instruments and sound tracks together at different levels, a final mix down is produced.

By listening carefully, you will be able to identify the different sounds and instruments present in your music – for example, drums, guitar, bass guitar, brass, strings, keyboards etc. Because each instrument will be doing something different, it is an excellent exercise to choose one and focus your mind on it exclusively.

This is quite an enjoyable exercise. Learning to listen to a specific instrument within the music will greatly sharpen your ability to focus when surrounded by distraction.

Initially it may be worth trying this when it’s quiet and you have no other diversions. As you become proficient you will be able to do this whenever you hear music. This is a highly portable exercise that will add another dimension to your enjoyment of music.

Try listening to the following piece of music. Pick out the bass line and focus on in exclusively. If successful, you will almost loose awareness of the rest to the sounds making up the track - this is what it's like when you are truly focussed and in the zone!         

Concentrate on an object

This will test your ability to avoid distraction and can be practiced more or less anywhere.

Choose something that will stay in view for some time (a passing car for example would disappear too quickly) – an object in a room, a passing cloud or a distant view. Study your chosen object intensely. Your task is to empty you mind of all distracting thoughts ensuring nothing draws you attention away from the subject.

Tip: When concentrating on an object, describe it in your mind to block other distracting thoughts.

Combine concentration and relaxation techniques whenever possible. This is an excellent way to associate these two key skills.