F = Five More Rule

There are two kinds of people -- those who have learned how to work through frustration, and
those who wish they had. From now on, if you're in the middle of a task and tempted to give up
-- just do FIVE MORE.

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.

Just as runners get their second wind by not giving up when their body initially protests, you
can get your "second mind" by not giving up when your willpower initially protests.
Continuing to concentrate when your brain is tired is the key to S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your
attention span and building mental endurance. 

O = One Think At a Time

Samuel Goldwyn said, "If I look confused, it's because I'm thinking." Feeling scatter-brained?
Overcome perpetual preoccupation with the Godfather Plan -- make your mind a deal it can't
refuse. Yes, the mind takes bribes. Instead of telling it 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. 

For 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 when
pitching this proposal to our VIP clients."

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. Recording worrisome obligations means you don't have to use your brain as
a "reminder" bulletin board, which means you can give your undivided attention to your top
priority task. 

C = Conquer Procrastination
Don't feel like concentrating? Are you putting off a task or project you're supposed to be
working on? That's a form of procrastination. R. D. Clyde said, "It's amazing how long it takes
to complete something we're not working on." 

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

Picture your mind as a camera and your eyes as its aperture. Most of the time, our eyes are
"taking it all in" and our brain is in "wide-angle focus." We can actually think about many things
at once and operate quite efficiently this way (e.g., imagine driving down a crowded highway
while talking to a friend, fiddling with the radio, keeping an eye on the cars beside you, and
watching for your exit sign.)
What if you want to switch to telephoto focus? What if you have to prepare for a test and you
need 100% concentration? 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." Think about the importance of
those words.

Want even better news? Does the name Pavlov r-r-r-ring a bell? 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. 

Remember? Pavlov rang the bell, fed the dog, rang the bell and fed the dog, until the dog
started salivating as soon as he heard the sound of the bell. Similarly, 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

Want to know how to be "here and now" and fully present instead of mindlessly rushing here,
there, and everywhere? Frederick Franck said, "When the eye wakes up to see again, it
suddenly stops taking anything for granted." Evelyn Underhill said, "For lack of attention, a
thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day." 

I constantly relearn this lesson. One time I was giving my sons their nightly back rub. Although
I was sitting right next to them, I might as well have been in the next country because I was
thinking of the early morning flight I needed to take the next day and wondering if I had
packed my hand-outs, if my ticket was in my purse, etc. 

Suddenly, my unfocused eyes fell upon my sons and I truly SAW Tom and Andrew as if I was
looking at them for the first time. I was immediately flooded with a sense of gratitude for these
two healthy, thriving boys. I felt so blessed to have been gifted with such wonderful sons. In an
instant, I went from being absent-minded to being filled with a sense of awe and appreciation
for their presence in my life.

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. 

What people have said about concentration

 "I used to think the human brain was the most fascinating part of the body, and then I
realized, 'What is telling me that?'" - Emo Phillips
 "I'm getting so absent-minded and forgetful. Sometimes in the middle of a sentence, I . . .
" - Milton Berle 
 "Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes
frozen, even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind." Leonardo da Vinci 
 "Tell me to what you pay attention, and I will tell you who you are." - Jose Ortega y
Gasset
 I would go without shirt or shoe sooner than lose for a minute the two separate sides of
my head." - Rudyard Kipling
 "It's not that I don't want to listen to people. I very much want to listen to people. I jut
can't hear them over my talking." - Paula Poundstone

It sure wasn't easy to remember to ask the question. Many times I thought it was silly and
wanted to stop. I soon realized that in order to go big I needed to begin small. What got me
through this portion was knowing the small would pass quickly and the big wouldn't be big
any longer.

The second is visioning -- visioning the payoff. Feeling full from the dinner before I began to eat
or seeing my writing being emailed or published. The stress reduced itself by half at first and
then decreased completely. This transfer rewnewed me spiritually, physically, and mentally.
My self-talk became more and more positive as time progressed.

Third, was setting up the environment for my success. I cleared my desk except for the
materials I needed to work on. I practiced mantras before starting each piece of work. Again it
felt silly at first. As I progressed with the practice I was able to do it faster and without thinking.
Sometimes I played a productivity CD or meditated for a few minutes (using a timer so I didn't
get lost in time). Before when I did this, I felt I was wasting my time. Now, I realized this
actually accomplishes the opposite.

The fourth is being in the NOW -- the present moment. Not thinking about the past or the
future. Just the now. When I first started this practice, I found my inner chatter jumping into the
future often. Instead of dismissing it, I told myself I would address the question or answer in X
minutes. It seemed to satisfy the need to let go of the distraction. I began seeing how much time
I wasted on future possibilities...playing the if game. You will find this yourself doing this as
well. It's a neat practice to test whether you're really in the now as well.

Fifth, is learning to let go of everything else except the objective. It's similar to the
NOWexercise above, just a little stronger. Here's you letting go of what comes next and doing
what needs to be done now. When I'm in this stage I think of a horse drawn carriage. The horse
is wearing blinders so their eyes don't stray or see something that spooks them. This includes
letting go of any fears that might be crowding in. Just put on the blinders. I use my hands
sometimes to imitate this effect.

Sixth, is about taking breaks. It wasn't until my third year at college, my first degree that I
learned that if I took a short break every 30 minutes, for science every 15 minutes, I remembered
more. My brain caught up with what I just read and processed the information. I began
connecting the dots. Ask yourself, "What is your maximum attention span?" It averages
somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes.

The seventh method involves writing. Writing down what it is that is blocking your focus.
Writing releases the "I don't want to forget" factor. It places the information in a trusted place
you know you can return to. Set the timer for five minutes and freewrite what’s going on in
your mind. I call this process, "The Dumping Game." I recommend using a positive tone.

Focus doesn't need to be fleeting elements in our life. Nor do you need to tolerate the natural
disarray condition. With alert awareness and conscious choice -- and solutions on how to focus
-- it can be there whenever we want or need it. Just knowing that it’s part of your arsenal is
powerful in itself. As you test these solutions, you will find what works best for you. It's
guaranteed to work some where in the process.