Theory -Focusing

If you’re hyperactive like me, focusing is a tough word to hear. No matter what you try, you simply can’t focus on anything at once. In this guide, we’ll attack focus from two angles: on the moment and in general.


Both types of focus can be improved with enough practice, but I just want you to know that this is probably one of the hardest one to learn if you’re hardwired to be hyperactive like me.


Focusing on the moment


Focusing on the moment is about doing a single thing right now. This is the opposite of multi-tasking. For example, if I’m writing content for this course, that’s all I’m doing. I’m not trying to edit it or do any research at the same time.


Being able to focus on the things you want to learn during a learning session is crucial. That’s why I like to block thirty minute sessions. I can’t focus on a single thing for much longer than that. 


Learn what your limit is. Every week, try a new block of time for your learning sessions. A good starting point is to use the Pomodoro technique. At its most simple, the Pomodoro technique is a block of twenty-five minutes of focus, followed by a five minute break. It works for most people, but I’ve seen quite a few exceptions to that rule. Twenty-five is a tiny bit too short for me, for example.

And there’s no right or wrong. If your maximum focus time is ten minutes, that’s completely fine. Schedule blocks of ten minutes going forward. If it’s two hours, that’s fine too. You’re no better or worse because you concentrate different from someone else.


Whatever you want to learn, I found that the most important factor in being able to focus on the moment is your environment. We’ll touch on that more in module 4 where we’ll discuss habit management. But for now, take a moment to think about the environment you spend the most time learning in. Is it a productive learning environment?


When I study something on the computer, I like to close everything I’m not using and only leave a browser window opened. I’m typing this article in full-screen, with no other windows around it. My physical environment consists of a keyboard and a laptop, and my gaming chair. I sometimes write standing up. My office corner has nothing I can physically touch that would be distracting. 


Here’s a picture of what it looks like currently:

My writing environment

So, when you think about your learning sessions, think about what you can remove from your environment. What do you truly need? Ask yourself this for each thing in your physical and “virtual” environment: Will this help me in my learning? If the answer is no, find a way to move it over somewhere else. 


You don’t need 20 browser windows or tabs. You don’t need clutter on your desk. Basically, if something involves any of your senses in the wrong way, it’s a distraction.


Focusing in general


Focusing in general has to do with the number of projects you have active at the same time but are not actively all doing right now.


This is a tough one for me. As a polymath, I like to do many things well. As a result, I start a lot of projects and try to bring them to a level I’m proud of. That’s a goal I rarely reach. To be really good at something, there’s nothing like giving it a lot of attention. If you do too many things, you spread yourself too thin. 


I need to be reminded constantly that I’m doing too many things and I hate it. I often find myself working on twelve different projects at the same time (that’s no exaggeration). Most of the time, it’s not simple involvement either. Like, I’m the lead person on half of these projects, most of which are not short-term projects, like building a video game, writing a book, and growing a self-help business.


The only way I found to help me focus better is to raise my self-awareness. I won’t go into all the details here, but if you want to know everything there is to know about self-awareness, I wrote this comprehensive guide:

How to Be Self-Aware — The Complete Guide


For now, we’ll explore two things I find has the most impact in helping with focus in general:


Finding your why: Why do you do what you do?


If you were to stop reading now and answering the question right this moment, could you answer with a single sentence? Most people can’t.


Before you can find out your why, you need to be aware of multiple aspects of your self. I like to make my brainstorming sessions easy, using simple lists. Here are some ideas to get you started.


List your:

  • Skills — things you do well;

  • Hobbies — things that occupy your time;

  • Passions — things you do for fun without external incentives;

  • Talents — things you learn fast;

  • Loved ones — people you care about;

  • Moments of happiness — key moments of your life or recurring events;

  • Moments of sadness — key moments of your life or recurring events;

  • Personality traits — things that define you as a person; and

  • Values — things you strongly believe in.


Once you have all the answers from your brainstorm, spend time to figure out how this all fits together. Move things in these categories (the four “what”s):

  • What are you good at?

  • What do you love to do?

  • What can you get paid to do?

  • What does the world need?


With the brainstorm from above and the answer to these questions, you might find something that comes at the intersection of your four “what”s. The answer might not come right away, but the more you do the exercise, the more obvious it will become.


Think Day


Think Day is a day where you do a single thing: you reflect on yourself and everything that encompasses. All you’re doing is writing down any idea that comes to mind. You’d be surprised how many unfinished thoughts you have in your mind when you don’t stop to think on a broader scale.


When you feel like everything isn’t running perfectly anymore, it’s time for a Think Day. When you think everything is running super smoothly, it’s also a good time for Think Day. And of course, if you feel unfocused, there’s no better time for a Think Day.


The reality is, you shouldn’t wait for a reason to do it. You can always use more clarity on your life. I’d argue that Think Days should be “habitual” to some degree. Do it once a month, for example. Bill Gates, for instance, takes a Think Week every year. Learn from the best and make clarity a top priority in your life.


For a successful Think Day, here’s the preparation you need:

  • Plan a day where you will get zero distractions;

  • Turn off all notifications on all your devices;

  • Don’t read or reply to any messages;

  • Go in a different environment than your usual one; and

  • Bring material to take notes. Don’t underestimate what you’ll need.


The goal is to do anything that forces you to think deeper. I personally just sit at a desk or table and jot notes down in a notebook while doing some research on the internet.


In my last Think Day alone, I wrote 50+ pages of notes! I wanted clarity on three aspects of my life:

  1. One of my companies — Forest Co;

  2. Another one of my companies: Power Level Studios; and

  3. My life in general.


Ultimately, the process is quite personal, but here’s a framework I’ve used with success:

  1. List down all your purposes for doing a Think Day.

  2. List down the top three takeaways you want to get from Think Day (spend a good amount of time on this one).

  3. Write down the whole list of things you plan on reflecting on today. Organize these in buckets using the Eisenhower Matrix.

  4. Write tons of notes.

  5. Once you’re done, list the key insights you got from it.

  6. Add these insights to a list of action items to Start Doing, Continue Doing, or Stop Doing.

  7. Assign a specific due date for each of them.

  8. Schedule your next Think Day.