Improve your Focus

Before you can remember anything, you first have to be able to concentrate on the information. The more powerfully you focus, the better you will remember new material. But can concentration be improved?

The answer is "yes", and actually I was going to give you some more of my own tips, but just now I ran across a fantastic set of strategies from expert Sam Horn that she calls F.O.C.U.S. (get it?).

The following five F.O.C.U.S. tips can help you concentrate better -- whether you're working in a busy office, studying at school, sitting in a meeting, or trying to finish a project.

F = "Five More" Rule. Read FIVE MORE pages. Finish FIVE MORE math problems. Work FIVE MORE minutes.

Just as athletes build physical stamina by pushing past the point of exhaustion, you can build mental stamina by pushing past the point of frustration.

O = One Think at a Time. Instead of telling the mind NOT to worry about another, lesser priority (which will cause your mind to think about the very thing it's not supposed to think about!), assign it a single task with start-stop time parameters.

Example: "I will think about how to pay off that credit card debt when I get home tonight and have a chance to add up my bills. For now, for the next thirty minutes from 1-1:30 pm, I will give my complete focus to practicing this presentation so I am eloquent and articulate."

Still can't get other concerns out of your head? Write them down on your to-do list so you're free to forget them.

C = Conquer Procrastination. Next time you're about to postpone a responsibility, ask yourself, "Do I have to do this? Do I want it done so it's not on my mind? Will it be any easier later?"

Those three questions can give you the incentive to mentally apply yourself because they bring you face to face with the fact this task isn't going away, and delaying will only add to your guilt and make this onerous task occupy more of your mind and time.

U = Use Your Hands as Blinkers. Cup your hands around your eyes so you have "tunnel vision" and are looking solely at your text book. Placing your hands on the side of your face blocks out surroundings so they are literally "out of sight, out of mind."

Not only that, but if you cup your hands around your eyes every time you want to switch from wide-angle to telephoto focus, that physical ritual becomes a Pavlovian trigger. Using your hands as blinkers every time you want to narrow your focus teaches your brain to switch to "one track" mind and concentrate on your command.

S = See As If for the First or Last Time. Next time your mind is a million miles away, simply look around you and really SEE your surroundings. Study that exquisite flower in the vase. Get up close to the picture on the wall and marvel at the artist's craftmanship.

Lean in and really look at a loved one you tend to take for granted. This will "Velveteen Rabbit" your world and make it come alive in your mind's eye.

TIP: To help remember these strategies, remember the keywords for each of the FOCUS steps:

Five - One - Conquer - Use - See