Are you having problems finding focus? What would happen if I told you that you already possess the skills and tools necessary to be more productive? How would you like some examples of exercises and techniques that will supercharge your concentration? Your mind is a powerful and complex part of your life. Using your mind in a productive manner with laser-like focus is very important. It is equally important to sharpen the mind and use it to its fullest potential. Here are several exercises, tools, and methods to help you begin sharpening your mind.
Simplest Way to Meditate
Find a chair and make an effort to sit for a specific interval. Try 5 minutes at the beginning and then attempt to progress to 15 minutes. Make an attempt to relax and be still. Be mindful of your surroundings, sounds, and smells. Feel your heart beat and zero in on breathing. Control the desire to let your mind wander and stay in this moment.
Glassful of Water Secret Exercise
This exercise seems tedious, but you should give it a shot. I found out about this exercise when I heard The Power of Concentration on LibriVox, which is a free public domain of audiobooks read by volunteers. You can also get a electronic version on Project Gutenberg, which offers over 49,000 free ebooks. Grasp underneath a glassful of water by the tips of your fingers with your arm extended straight in front of you without moving. Focus on the glass as long as you can. Seek to increase the length of involuntary movement each day.
Successful People Read
In a past post we discussed using reading to improve focus by writing summaries of what you read starting with a paragraph, then a page, and eventually a chapter. This really gets at the recollection of thoughts during short periods. When you jot down notes, you begin to process your thoughts. Committing them to paper strengthens your ability to recall, process, and reinforce the idea to your mind.
Create a To-Do List For More Memory
We haven’t really discussed to-do lists much. There are many arguments for and against these lists. I use them to unclog the mind’s RAM or random-access-memory. We live hectic lives and easily forget small things which pile up. Even when I’m on a stroll or jog my mind becomes activated and I must use a to-do list so I don’t forget an idea or a have-to-do. After I finish, there are usually so many random thoughts that I can’t recall. This may happen to you during the day. Free up some memory and let your mind focus by using a to-do list. Download some of that memory.
Memorization Exercise
I don’t do well memorizing things. Since the creation of smart phones, the only telephone number and address I can remember belongs to me, and only because it’s repeated many times a day. I know my memorization skills are short of ideal. One of the ways I try to improve is by memorizing a poem by Rudyard Kipling, IF. I will attempt to memorize two lines each week and recite just as much as I can when I put my sons to bed or randomly during the day. Once you read the poem you will know why I choose this one. Many people try to memorize Bible verses and I am working on these as well.
Have Some Fun With Puzzles
Puzzles are a great exercise for the mind. You can grab a puzzle book from any magazine rack or convenience store. Even your state newspaper usually features one. Puzzles are usually fun and help improve your concentration. I will be traveling across the country over the next few days. I have purchased a few Sudoku puzzles to keep me occupied when not driving. Find something that’s fun and challenging. Spend 15 minutes each day concentrating on this exercise.
This list is just some of the tools and exercises I’ve learned and used as time goes by. There are quite a few more out there. Do you have any suggestions or favorites that you would love to share?
Great post, Kirby. The suggestion I have is finding the time of day that people work best in and capitalize on it. I do my best work in the morning, but for years I was doing it at night. In the morning I am alert, but at night I am drained by the end of the day. This shift helped me become more focused and in return helped me produce my best work.
Digging the new avatar photo, Adam (not that the previous one was shabby, just saying …).
Kirby, this is exactly what I was looking forward to — some simple, practical suggestions for people who are totally new to the idea of meditation and focus, who are willing to try something new, and yet who lacked that first step to get them going. Perfect!
Most people can identify with staring into a fire in the fireplace or bonfire pit. Much like your water example, I’ve used fire — usually just a single candle flame in a dark or dimly lit room — as a focal point. What you choose to focus on up to you. Sometimes, I just stay focused on the changing movement of the flame, not letting my thoughts wander elsewhere. Sometimes, I’ll have one word in mind. Sometimes, I will play a piece of unfamiliar orchestral music and try to make a mental image from it (like trying to invent a movie that would match the sound track I’m hearing).
Of note, growing number of studies (starting with the Nun Study of 1986) now show that many of the exercises you’ve mentioned — reading, intentional memorization, doing puzzles — in addition to improving focus, actually play a significant role in preventing the onset of memory loss, Alzheimer’s or other dementia as we get older. All the more reason to get started today!