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busy-clerk-200x300Lack of focus is one of the biggest problems in today’s classrooms. Teachers complain about it to one another, to the parents, to the kids who can’t seem to focus. But the problem is much more widespread than just in the classroom.

Adults today complain more and more about the inability to stay focused on a project. Part of the problem is the way our brain is wired. We are wired to be distracted. And in today’s world of technology, it is especially hard to stay focused on anything because we have trained ourselves to respond to every ring, every beep, every buzz that alerts us to something.
The problem with responding that way is that we give equal priority to every signal, whether it is an email from a marketer begging you to sign up for their latest and greatest new program or a phone call from your mom saying she needs a ride to the hospital.

The part of our brain that responds to danger is responsible for this problem. Every alert signals our bodies that we might need to respond to danger. The brain responds
automatically, and it isn’t something that can easily be stopped or managed.
Many people believe that they can handle this by multi-tasking, getting multiple things done at once. “Oh, I can do a lot of things at once!” you hear, but when you get the email your multi-tasker sent, it is filled with incomplete thoughts and spelling errors. You’re on the phone with someone who is talking to you and composing a memo for the office. You have asked the same question three times and still haven’t gotten an answer.

The truth is that multitasking can’t be done well. It forces the brain to fragment itself in order to try to get multiple tasks done, focusing a few seconds on typing, then focusing on listening, then focusing on handwriting yet another note. The brain can do this lightening fast, so it might seem like it’s working. But in reality, steady multitaskers are actually lowering their brain IQ, reducing their overall intelligence.

What’s the answer? How do we relearn focus? Change the way you work. The first step is to determine your most productive hours of the day. These you should guard like gold. During those most productive hours turn off the phone, silence all cellphone and computer alerts, disconnect from the internet and get to work.
Start by giving yourself an opportunity to laser focus for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time. With practice, you will discover that you really are capable of focusing for those twenty minutes and may even be shocked by the amount of work you get done.

Prioritize your work needs. Don’t spend your premium productive time on mindless tasks. Give your all to your most difficult work first, expend energy getting the biggest monkey off your back. That way, you feel great about checking off a difficult task from your list of things to do today, and then turning to the more mundane or mindless tasks makes the rest of the day feel like coasting.
The more you practice focusing, the more trained your brain becomes to the activity. Then it becomes easier. Just like any other muscle in the body, our brains can be trained.

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