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mind begins to wander. Third, we make note of this mind wandering. This can take
awhile, especially if we don’t frequently check what is consuming our attentional space.
(On average, we notice about five times an hour that our mind has wandered.) And
fourth, we shift our focus back to our original object of attention.
The four stages of hyperfocus are modeled on this framework.
To hyperfocus, you must
1. choose a productive or meaningful object of attention;
2. eliminate as many external and internal distractions as you can;
3. focus on that chosen object of attention; and
4. continually draw your focus back to that one object of attention.
Setting an intention for what we plan to focus on is the most important step
—the
more productive and meaningful
the task, the more productive and meaningful your
actions become. For example, if you set your intention to focus on mentoring a new
employee, automating a repetitive task, or brainstorming a new product idea, you’ll be
infinitely more productive than if you work intention-free and in autopilot mode.
This same idea applies at home: the more meaningful our objects of focus, the more
meaningful our life becomes. We experience the benefits of hyperfocus mode by setting
such simple intentions as being present in a conversation with our partner or fully
enjoying a meal with our family. We learn more, remember more, and process our
actions more deeply
—and our lives become more meaningful as a result. This first step
to reaching hyperfocus mode is essential
—intention absolutely has to precede attention.
The second step to reaching hyperfocus is eliminating as
many internal and external
distractions as possible. There’s a simple reason we fall victim to distraction: in the
moment, distractions are more attractive objects of attention than what we really ought
to be doing. This is true both at work and at home. Email alerts that pop into the corner
of our screen are usually more tempting than the task we’re doing in another window;
the TV behind our partner at the pub is usually more enticing than focusing on the
conversation.
Distractions are infinitely easier to deal with in advance
—by the time they appear, it’s
often already too late to defend our intention against them.
Internal
distractions must be
tamed as well
—including random (and sometimes cringeworthy) memories and
thoughts that bubble up as we’re trying to focus, the mental
resistance we have to
unappealing tasks (like doing taxes or cleaning the garage), and the times we want to
focus but our mind wants to wander.
Third, hyperfocus becomes possible when we focus on our chosen object of attention
for a predetermined amount of time. This involves hunkering down for a set period that
is both comfortable and feasible. The more groundwork we lay in the first two steps of
hyperfocus, the more deeply and confidently we can accomplish step three.
Fourth, and finally, hyperfocus is about drawing our attention back
to the original
object of attention when our mind wanders. I’ll repeat this point frequently, as it’s one of
the most important ideas in this book: again, research shows that our mind wanders for
47 percent of the day. In other words, if we’re awake for
eighteen hours, we’re engaged
in what we’re doing for just
eight
of them. It’s normal for our mind to wander, but the key
is to center i
t so we can spend time and attention on what’s actually in front of us.
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In addition, it
takes an average of
twenty-two minutes
to resume working on a task
after we’re distracted or interrupted. We fare even worse when we interrupt or distract
ourselves
—in these cases, it takes
twenty-nine minutes
to return to working on the
original task. The more often we assess what’s occupying our attentional space, the
quicker we’re able to get back on track. Don’t stress too much about this right now—
we’ll get to specifics later in the book.
The concept of hyperfocus can be summed up in a single tranquil sentence: keep
one important, complex object of attention in your awareness as you work.
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