The act of achieving productivity through focus.
In any competitive space, there’s only one way to stay ahead of the crowd and be exceptional, whether by being different, or unique. The way, in my opinion, and which has continued to work for me, might I add reflects that my success is not about me being intelligent rather it is long hours of focusing and consistent work which I’ve sustained for about a decade, so far.
There are a plethora of articles on this generic subject, and I think you might have read one on this topic, ie. hacking productivity in general. Notwithstanding, this very specific and practical method works for me and I use it as often as possible. In fact, I would be applying this said hack as you read this.
Before we proceed, however, it’s only right that we highlight major reasons the simple act of ‘focusing’ might be so challenging.
Distraction
This is a direct consequence of the rise of the digital revolution, as well as the increase in the use of smartphones. It’s safe to say that this problem was brought on by an information overload in this century.
It should be noted that individuals function at varying capacities. . Essentially, the important thing is not the number of hours spent working but how well we accomplish scheduled tasks. To be candid, increasing the hours spent concentrating on work is a tough enough task requiring significant willpower initially, however, this is not unattainable.
It should be noted that individuals function at different capacities i.e a lot of people perform at the speed that works and guarantees success for them could either be fast or slow.
The quality of output to either work or study is more important than the quantity, it’s neither by the amount of time spent it’s how well we accomplish scheduled tasks i.e quality of our work.
Increasing the hours of work is a tough task that requires willpower and determination however is not unattainable.
How I eliminate this Agent:
The term ‘Poison kills Poison’ becomes material. There are more than a few mobile apps and web extensions I use. I should point out that before choosing this option, toning down every possible distraction is imperative. This could involve you taking actions:
- Switching off your mobile phone
- Asking your colleagues to only reach out for emergencies
- Moving to an isolated workspace at the office or in your home. You may consider only getting up or changing positions after your task is completed (or maybe to pee). The mantra is ‘everything, but work can wait.
This endeavor requires a great deal of self-discipline which you may ordinarily lack, or your job would still require you to still stay active online. I personally recommend the Forest app because of its super cool user experience as with this app, your study session literally becomes a tree.
At the beginning of the session on the app, you plant the tree and it starts to grow. But if you close the app, the tree dies — and unless you’re ‘anti-tree’ nobody really wants their precious tree to die!
So by using the app, you’ll have a more productive study session and of course, having your phone next to you while you study could be a distraction (as I mentioned) so this means that you’ll need to be careful not to use your phone for anything else.
The second app you can use to remove digital distractions is Freedom, you can schedule this app to block other apps such as YouTube, games, and social media to keep you on track.
If you learn more alongside people or by being accountable to people around you, I would suggest an app I use when I decide to go incognito. Focusmate.
With Focusmate, you get to make a pre-commitment to study for a 50-minute period at least one day in advance, you then get paired with a real-life accountability partner.
You must turn on your webcam during the 50-minute session. This means that you and your study partner can see and hear each other during the study session. It gets more interesting with the commitment rules on the app, for example, If you leave your desk without giving an explanation, your study partner can report you, and vice versa. Similarly, if you don’t turn up to your study session or if you are late, your study partner can report you.
Non-compliance results in the system marking you down. If your score falls below a certain level, the system will eventually lock you out. But if you keep your commitments and complete your study session, the system will reward you with points.
Preparing to Focus
There are a lot of factors why ‘focusing’ may not be achievable on some days because we’re humans and emotions have a role to play in how we live on some days. So sometimes you may not even feel like getting to work or putting on your PC. When this happens, I would take a few minutes to prepare myself mentally.
Then I’d set a timer for a minute and tell myself that I would start work when the timer goes off. By doing this, I’ll be much more likely to get to work at the end of the minute. This is a process and term called “implementation intention”. Any time you signal to yourself an intention to do something, it makes it easier to begin that task.
For this case study, the implementation intention is to set a timer for a minute before starting a study/work session, if you feel like procrastinating. By doing this, you will eliminate the resistance you were experiencing.
Oh, and since we’ve understood the concept of resistance and implementation intention, I’d like to emphasize how I manage Momentum which is like a discipline lubricant as it helps ease the process of sticking with goals. That’s why I think it’s important that we never take true breaks from our goals as we most times end up losing momentum and relying on discipline to get back on track which is quite a difficult thing to do.
So yeah, this means every day, we need to do something significant to further our goals which somewhat involves weekends and holidays 🙃. And when I say “significant,” I don’t necessarily mean a big task, but rather, any task that brings us closer to our goals.
For instance, if your goal is to be a freelance writer, then write one single pitch on a weekend. If your goal is to get healthy, then go for a short, 5-minute walk, even on Christmas day.
What if you get distracted?
Getting distracted as humans is very inevitable: So, there’s a very high chance that you’ll get distracted during work or your study sessions. So you definitely need a strategy for dealing with these distractions.
Here’s a technique I use that works well.
So let’s assume that you’re having issues with your codes or having a design or writer’s block, as this occurs when you get the urge to check your text messages. So rather than giving in to the temptation, I write down in my notebook: “Check Twitter notifications.”
Once I’ve done this, I find it pretty much easier to go back to work.
So, during my next break, I then go ahead and do what I’ve listed in that notebook. And in this case, you can check your Twitter notifications.
This is an effective technique because instead of simply trying to resist the urge which can be pretty much hard, I get to “take action” by writing down the distraction. By doing so, I acknowledge the urge without giving in to it and this leaves me very free to go back to what I was doing before — working.
Planning & Execution
Before starting work every day, a very non-negotiable task I check out is creating a plan for the day. Most times if I have free night time, I mostly do this the night before work the next day.
One important role to making this worth it is ensuring to make the plan as detailed as possible, and there’s a very good reason for this. You must be clear about what you’re going to achieve each day.
For example, “study physics” is not a sufficiently detailed study plan.
A good example of my plan with enough details would be: “Read pages 24 to 52 of the Theoretical Concepts of Mechanical Concepts textbook and create a summary diagram.” A good advantage of creating a detailed plan like this is that it becomes easier to assess your progress.
It has also been scientifically proven that humans are high on concentration level at the initial phase of our work hours and this gradually decreases with the passage of time. So, I set difficult tasks at the top and keep the easier ones for the latter phase. This strategy works because difficult tasks need mental focus which can only be attained during our most productive or high concentration duration. Also, the easy tasks would be a cakewalk if you get the self-motivation of completing the difficult topics even if you feel tired during the later work hours.
Improving Concentration & Maintaining Healthy Living.
Okay here’s a fact you wouldn’t really love but is quite useful for your health and growth: People who digest junk food or quick foods during work and study breaks have a higher tendency to suffer from health issues or chronic diseases. This happens as it makes us lethargic and low on energy to perform, one of the main reasons for which people find it difficult to study for longer hours.
So, as you can already decipher, it is only advisable to stick to healthy foods like normal homemade food with lots of protein and fiber, especially brain foods like spinach, almond, etc. which improves mental tenacity. These foods act as fuel for the human brain to work for long study hours.
If you live in Lagos, Nigeria I’d recommend Eden for deliveries of fresh-made foods.
And yeah, apart from all these, having water in each 2 hours duration would ensure that the brain is properly hydrated and ready for use.
Exercises
Researchers at Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience have studied the effect of breathing exercises on the body’s production of noradrenaline. Noradrenaline functions as a neurotransmitter, which affects your concentration, and by regulating your breathing, you can also optimize your levels of noradrenaline.
The researchers concluded that “there is a strong connection between breath-centered practices and a steadiness of mind”.
Here is a simple breathing exercise I use that will bring calm and focus to your mind before you study:
- Close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose for 4 seconds.
- When you feel that your lungs are full of air, hold your breath for 2 seconds.
- Then slowly exhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
Do this exercise three times in succession before the start of every workday. You can also try it out now to see how relaxed it makes you feel :)
Breaks
We’re still human and too much work leads to exhaustion which leads to breakdown and sickness. Having a term I call Intelligent breaks can help you become sharper and smarter. It can range from 5–60 minutes depending on your necessity. It also helps to cope with Boredom which is a challenge faced by almost every person. I personally advise people to use productivity tools like the Pomodoro timer.
And if you’re unaware of this tool, the Pomodoro technique is a time-management tool that is based on spaced study/work sessions with breaks in-between. Usually, a timer of 25 mins with a 5 mins break or a timer of 50 mins with a 10 mins break is used in Pomodoro. It is based on the idea of working for a measured segment of time with small breaks of a few minutes in between.
It has been scientifically proven that an average human mind can not focus on more than 50 mins in one stretch. So, instead of doing the work in-efficiently you should take breaks to rewire your mind and reset your energy levels. One of the things that I would recommend to you is trying out digital detox, especially during these breaks.
One of the best Pomodoro Timers, which I figured out, was that of StudyGang’s which has an inbuilt study session time recording feature.
Sound & Music.
Music stimulates the brain and for me listening to classical music is one of the focusing mechanisms while studying or some Jazz/electronic beats while working.
Dr. Masha Godkin, professor at Northcentral University, made research on the effects of music on our brains.
She found that classical music can take you from the beta brainwave state to the deeper alpha state, and even further to the theta state. According to Dr. Godkin, the ability of music to stimulate both sides of the brain is why music helps you focus and also improves your memory.
Classical music with a fast tempo, such as Beethoven’s Für Elise, is a good recommendation as it helps me concentrate and remember more information.
It’s designed based on research at the University of Chicago. This research shows that we think better and are more creative when there is a moderate level of background noise.
Alternatively, try listening to Brain.fm. It offers music engineered to help you achieve and sustain deep focus. Personally, I use Brain.fm almost every day, and I’ve found it to be useful because I’ve been able to stay focused for about 30% longer than before!
When do you call it a day?
If you’re pretty much like me that most times exceed work hours because you haven’t completed a task or because you love what you’re doing even though you’re tired, I would say it’s time to let that habit go because the goal here is to make you work and study for long hours, you shouldn’t forget the idea is to study smart, not just hard but it’s also very essential to live a balanced life.
So I work my way around this by setting strict deadlines, such as 9:30 pm, and make sure I don’t do any work after that time (I still watch lectures while having dinner though 😁).
Another beautiful advantage to creating a specific deadline for all activities would be the fact that you have clearly defined limits to help you concentrate, It serves as a means to an end i.e. avoid distraction.
Your last take-home should be “Don’t try to do anything productive while laying or sitting in bed” you really won’t be able to work or study effectively in a place that your brain already associated with relaxing and also the positions you would be maintaining while working on the bed, neither of these positions is conducive for maximal focus and even result in neck aches and backaches.
So do your work at a proper study desk every single time, and a good recommendation would be the Fern Life study desk.
