Focus: The Thinking Skill
In 2015, there were about at least eight drivers daily that were caught using their mobile phones while driving. This was an astonishing statistic given that Singapore has such a smaller population compared to the rest of the world.
The result was an increase in phone-and-drive offenses.
Yes, this has led to many legislative measures to prevent needless accidents. But one thing is most certainly clear, distraction is deadly.
Nowadays, not a day goes by that people aren’t the least bit distracted with the most mundane of things.
You think clicking on that red dot notifying you of comments in Facebook posts or Instagram photos will only take you two to three minutes to check.
You’ll be surprised that two hours have gone by and you’re now watching a YouTube video of Tom Holland’s epic Lip Sync Battle performance for the third time.
In fact, a recent study showed that Singaporeans are preoccupied at work by a variety of reasons, most commonly digital distractions such as texting and checking social media sites.
These habits that seem trivial and petty are costing companies millions due to the unproductivity at work.
It’s simply bad business practice to cultivate an environment that’s easily distracted. It’s okay to be results or output-based, but given that quality output requires diligence and focus, I can’t see how a distracted workforce can effectively deliver.
Distracted? Enter: Focus, the Thinking Skill
It’s quite silly to label focus as a thinking skill, especially given that almost all skills are mentally driven.
But there are skills that are more loco-motor or requires movement. True, it is the brain that sends the signal for your joints and muscles to move. But skills such as playing the piano, shooting a basketball, or performing a triple axel jump is viewed more as loco-motor skills.
Focus, however, is primarily a mental skill. It is a thinking skill that requires a few secondary character traits such as patience and determination.
As science would have it, focus is the thinking skill that allows people to work without procrastination. Because of focus, you can maintain your attention and effort on a singular task or action until it is complete.
Focus helps you accomplish things. And at this day and age where people are obsessed with results but are unable to pay the price of hard work, focus is precious!
It’s undeniable that focus helps people pay attention despite distractions. You can avoid falling prey to setbacks to be able to achieve a certain goal.
How to tell if you can’t focus
Do you have enough self-awareness and self-consciousness to know if you have the ability to focus?
I have a simple questionnaire that you can go through to help you determine if you lack focus.
- Do you have an anchor task that you set daily? An anchor task is that one non-negotiable thing that you simply can’t put off or procrastinate.
- Do you check your email as soon as you open your eyes or do you wait until the afternoon to do so?
- Do you always have your phone with you wherever you go?
- Are you used to working with multiple tabs in your computer?
- Do you have time to meditate?
- Do you have a to-do list?
- Can you work without a designated time schedule?
These seven questions are most likely to help you assess your ability to focus.
Your answer should be mostly yeses except for questions 4 and 7.
An anchor task is extremely important. Being able to accomplish a non-negotiable task will help you feel accomplished and give you confidence in yourself.
Checking your email early in the morning or as soon as you open your eyes is a terribly toxic habit.
So is having your phone constantly and at all times. In fact, it’s medically threatening.
Many people underestimate the power of meditation, chalking it up to old world wackiness or religious nonsense. However, more and more psychologists, life coaches and counselors are recommending early morning or midday meditation to get you through the hustle and bustle of daily living.
All the other elements in the questionnaire are designed to let you analyze how you focus on things.
Try not to give a top-of-mind answer but dive deeper into your simple daily habits or routines.
You might be doing things that are toxic to your ability to focus.
Remember, focus is a thinking skill. It is a mental skill. It require a lot of mental strength and willpower. So make sure you are dedicated to strengthening it. Otherwise, you defeat the purpose of doing so.
