Guy Reams (00:00.046)
This is day 53, concentration is a skill. There's a reality that concentration is not a latent capability. It is a skill that is earned. Some of us adapt to the ability to concentrate at a younger age and therefore demonstrate this more often than others. However, concentration is absolutely something that can be developed. There are many reasons why people struggle with concentration. I think most of the reasons are due to the factors
in and around their lives that prevent them from improving this ability. It can also be job selection, as not all occupations lend themselves to dedicated concentration time. I've decided to spend a week focused on how I can concentrate better and improve that skill set. My first concept is that I am working on right now is that concentration can actually be trained, meaning that you can train yourself to improve concentration and focus time.
I there are some core things that we can do on a daily basis to start the process of training your brain to concentrate. Number one, practice meditation. Spending just five or 10 minutes at a daily ritual that requires you to do nothing other than sit still and allow yourself to understand and know what is impacting you. To not react to anything, but rather take note of things and then allow your mind to move on to the next thought.
Just a few minutes of quiet stillness where you are actually doing no activity. Two, you can dedicate time each day that requires deep concentration. This can be puzzles, chess problems, brain games, or simply just reading. We do not allow ourselves enough time to work out our brains on regular basis. By spending time each day in focused thinking time that's not work related, we can keep the brain in tune and keep it sharp.
Third, build up focus sessions. There's a core workload that you need to be doing every day. It's probably associated with your goals in life or perhaps it's work or job related. You most likely could benefit from focus concentration on this area of your life. You can start small and then gradually build up the length of the time you spend in these sessions. I would start as small as five minutes. That may not seem like much, but you would be surprised.
Guy Reams (02:17.838)
People are just not good at concentrating. If you're really honest with yourself, you'll most likely find out that you cannot keep your brain focused on something for more than five minutes. To start with that, start with five minutes and the next day try a few more, like 10 minutes. Slowly build up until you can consistently focus for 20 minute sessions without having to remind yourself to get back on track.
Once you can do that, then you can start to string together several back-to-back 20-minute working sessions, and that is when you know you have trained yourself to concentrate. By doing these things, by doing these above things, you will quickly learn that your lifestyle is just getting in your way. Just try to do these three things each day for a week and see how far you get. My prediction is that you will fail because your lifestyle is set up to welcome constant distraction.
Take notes at what gets in your way each time you try to attempt one these things. Every time you try to do one of these three things, write down what it is that gets in your way. These are the distractions that have been hard-coded into your life. So as I start this journey into the art of concentration, I want to leave you with a simple truth. This is not a one-and-done process. It's not about achieving perfection, but progress. Concentration is a skill that requires constant cultivation.
like tending to a garden. Sometimes the weeds of distraction will overtake your efforts, but with persistence, you can clear the path again and again and again. Here's what I've come to realize in just these few short days of focused effort. The world isn't going to make it easy for you. Notifications will ping, responsibilities will pull you and your mind and your mind will wander away, but you always have a choice to show up, to refocus, to get back to the work of building the skill.
The question isn't whether it will be hard, it's whether you're committing to showing up and actually trying to concentrate anyway. If you decide to embark on your own week-long focus challenge, embrace the failures as much as the success. They're part of the process, teaching you about what triggers you and what are your distractions, what's causing you to get in your way. Concentration isn't just about focusing on what matters, it's about learning what doesn't and letting those things go.
Guy Reams (04:38.552)
So give yourself some grace, but don't give yourself it out. Concentration can be trained and you're in charge of that training. Start today, start small and just keep going. By the end of one week, you might surprise yourself on just how easy it is actually to concentrate with a little bit of effort.