Meditations on Focus

Today’s issue is all about focus, with a lesson inspired by Joe Simpson’s story in the book Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man’s Miraculous Survival.

Our Challenge

Have you ever felt like your attention span is just… short? Well, studies show the average person only stays with a single task for 3 minutes at a time.

And I get it! It’s tough to stay focused with so many distractions, right?

A Short Story

Today, we’re going take a cue from Joe Simpson, a mountaineer who survived a perilous situation while climbing a remote peak in the Peruvian Andes.

Joe climbed to the peak, but on the way down, he suffered a broken leg and was separated from his climbing partner.

Instead of giving up hope, Joe devised a simple strategy.

He focused his sight on one point on the horizon, and told himself he had 20 minutes to crawl there. When he got to that point, he picked another one to crawl to. And he did this time and time again… for 3 days… when he was finally able to make it back to safety.

The Lesson

In addition to being a miraculous story of human perseverance, it also serves as a simple reminder: where your eyes go, your mind follows.

So if you’re ever feeling scattered, here’s a simple trick: narrow your visual focus.

Another Example

This makes me think of Eminem in the movie Eight Mile, where he pulled up his hoodie, to zone in on his opponent in the rap battle. Well, that wasn’t just an intimidation tactic. It was also a way for him to focus his brain on the task at hand… and cut out any visual distractions.

Act on the Lesson

While I don’t plan to get stranded on a mountain, or compete in a rap battle anytime soon (well, at least not publicly)… I could benefit from more focus when I’m working and I suspect you might too.

If so, here’s 3 simple hacks you can steal:

1) Simplify or declutter your workspace. Remove anything that’s not essential. That includes pens, papers, sticky notes, your phone… any clutter that might be a distraction. Ask yourself, what’s the minimum I need to execute the task at hand.

2) Close those extra browser tabs. I’m the biggest culprit as my curiosity pulls me in so many different directions… but if they’re not needed for your task at hand, close them or at least move them to hidden desktop. 

3) Turn off notifications. Put your phone and computer into Focus mode. And ignore anything that might compete for your attention… you don’t need that text or social media notification if it’s not helping you complete your task at hand.

And here’s a bonus for when you’re really stuck:

4) Pick something in your space to focus on. It could be a plant, a picture, a book… anything. Let it anchor your attention. Really take it in. If your mind wanders, just bring it back. After doing this for a few seconds or minutes, your brain should eventually settle down and begin to focus on the task at hand.

Okay, that’s a wrap for today’s issue. If you want more:

• Check out the book Touching the Void to see how Joe Simpson survived to tell his tale, or you can also watch the documentary (of the same name).

• Download the Calm app. This post was inspired by one of Jay Shetty’s episodes of The Daily Jay.

And finally, if this struck a chord – if you found this helpful — please share it with a friend.

I’ll catch you back here next week for more Growth Meditations.

Scott

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