It is always interesting to me what makes successful people different from everyone else. It was my idea to learn from successful people, emulate their behavior, and eventually achieve the results that they achieved.
You see, after all they are the same as me. Although they may have a large network of contacts and lots of money, we share the same mind. It was clear to me that I could learn from them and get the life I had hoped for.
As I continued to study successful people that I know personally, people who have lived in the past, and others that I am sure you’ve seen on TV, I quickly realized the separation between those who accomplish their goal vs. those who don’t. Controlled attention is two words. This is sometimes called focus, concentration or controlled attention by some people. To some, this may seem like an elusive attribute to create an abundant amount of success in life, but I’ve found that nearly every successful person has this unique quality.
Andrew Carnegie is an American industrialist who was considered to have been one of the most successful Americans. His father was a refugee and he took on many odd jobs before establishing one of the largest business empires in history.
In fact, it’s been said that government officials thought something was fishy because of how quickly he accumulated his wealth. The US Senate asked Andrew Carnegie to answer questions. Carnegie’s simple secrets were revealed by officials who questioned Carnegie. Carnegie said, “I can keep my mind focused on something for five minutes at a stretch.” Carnegie had mastered the ability to keep his mind focused and attentive to start and complete a task in its entirety without distraction.
It’s a simple, but powerful answer that makes perfect sense. I mean, after all, if you can’t focus your thoughts on a desired outcome, then nothing can progress in life – whether it be in your health, productivity, or wealth.
An article was published by the Napoleon Hill Foundation website, Dr. Angel L. Rivera writes that controlled attention is defined as “the act of coordinating all the faculties of the mind and directing their combined power to a definite end; an act that can only be achieved by the strictest form of self-discipline.” In addition, he writes that effective concentration “requires that the attention be focused, fully controlled and directed toward a definite end.”
Whether it be starting and finishing a task, giving your undivided attention to another person while in conversation, or even something as simple as sticking with one idea until completion – this is a quality that all successful people have adopted.
“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” – Steve Jobs
You may now be wondering how you can improve your attention, concentration, and focus. You may feel like concentration is something that our society has abandoned in the face of all the demands and social media wormholes. According to Harvard research, our minds wander for nearly half of the day. The odds seem to be against us.
If you don’t feel like you have this attribute now, or you feel like you need more of it to get your goals and tasks completed, stick with me! Science has shown that concentration and focus can be taught!
In Dr. Amishi Jha’s book titled, Peak MindShe explains that by spending just 12 minutes per day and five days a weeks, your ability to increase attention and work memory can be increased through simple mindfulness exercises. For a very small amount of time you could reap huge rewards in almost every aspect of your life. Here are some other tips to help you keep your eyes on the prize.
1. Get rid of distractions
To reduce distractions, it is important to prepare your work environment before you start any task. It could mean putting your phones on Do Not Disturb or setting up a different room. Or getting up before everyone else to accomplish a task. Sometimes I need to leave my phone at home. Otherwise, it will be unconsciously picked up by me and I’ll start browsing social media. This ultimately leads to distraction from my task. It is important to clear your workspace to eliminate distractions.
2. Enjoy Short Breaks
Concentrating for too long can cause us to lose our focus. This can be alleviated by short breaks. I usually work for 30 minutes, then stop for a quick break of 5 minutes. Whether it be getting a snack or looking outside the window – this gives my brain time to recuperate. After the break is over and I get back to work, I’m refreshed relaxed, and my focus seems to increase.
3. Exercise
Most of us attribute exercise’s benefits to our bodies. However, there’s a ton of research on how regular exercise can actually improve our overall mental health – which includes our focus and productivity. When I’m faced with a difficult task, my workout routine is the first thing I do. This one trick is what has allowed me to be more productive in all of my goals and tasks.
This single habit will keep you successful in 21st century appeared first on Addicted 2 Success.