Focus Improvement: How to Focus in Less than 90 Seconds

A simple story illustrating the elements of focus: intention, attention, connection, and reflection.

Table of thoughts

• • • Focus on focus

    • Intention is awareness with purpose

    • Attention is focused awareness

    • Connection is broadening your focus

    • Reflection is reversing your focus

    • The elements of focus

    • Starve your distractions, feed your focus

Focus on focus

ThattaGirl* was leading a seminar and illustrating how focus and awareness help to, among other things, decrease anxiety, relieve depression, recharge your soul, lessen stress, and promote happiness. There were about fifty people in the audience. ThattaGirl asked if anyone would sometimes worry about the future or if they sometimes, based on experiences, felt nervous in new situations or occasionally had problems focusing on the here and now. Only a few people raised their hands. ThattaGirl, “If you didn’t raise your hand, you probably have it all under control, and you don’t need to be here.” Let me ask again, “Has anyone ever experienced depression or anxiety?” Now everyone in the audience raised their hands, or fingers, most meekly.

Not everyone wants to raise their hands. ThattaGirl said, “Let’s look at this quote on the screen.” If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. Lao Tzu ThattaGirl said, “In less than 90 seconds, I can show you how to change those fears and limiting beliefs. Alrighty, I need four volunteers.” ThattaGirl walked through the audience and looked around. She knew that anyone who was raising their hand was already at least aware of their troubles. ThattaGirl needed ‘volunteers’ who didn’t even dare to look at her. How to select the volunteers who will benefit the most: ThattaGirl looked across the rows of attendees for people who shied away, hid their eyes, and looked at the floor. Those were the people she selected. After picking out four of the most reluctant attendees, she directed them to head up to the stage. The volunteers all warily got up and headed to the stage. ThattaGirl asked them to stand in a straight line. Four unwilling and unsure people were standing on the stage, all barely in a straight line. They were fidgeting, wobbling, and ignoring eye contact, and it looked like they were re-evaluating their decision to come to this session. ThattaGirl said, “OK, we are going to wait a few seconds while you get comfortable.” They shuffled their feet without being aware of their anxiety.

Shuffling feet are often an indicator of lack of focus. ThattaGirl then turned to the audience and asked, “How comfortable do you think our four volunteers are right now?” The audience could see how uncomfortable the four were and laughed a bit. Mainly because the audience members were thankful they weren’t on stage. ThattaGirl went on. “Alright, I am now going to share a simple technique on how each of you can eliminate your discomfort. Right in front of this audience.” The selected group looked even more uncomfortable. ThattaGirl paused and explained, “Before we start our clock, I just need a few seconds to see how our volunteers are feeling.” She faced the group and looked into the anxious faces. “I just want to be sure I have the right people. Is anybody uncomfortable? If you are, please raise your hand.” Each member of the group of four raised some combination of one hand, one wrist, or one finger, but no one raised their head. The volunteers turned their eyes downward and constantly shuffled their postures.

It is easiest to focus, when you don't want people to focus on you... ThattaGirl looked at the attendees and said, “This confirms we have the right group.” The audience lightly chuckled. She turned to the audience and commented, “Looks like they are uncomfortable, doesn’t it?” This made the group more uncomfortable, as they knew the entire audience was watching them. Apologizing, ThattaGirl told the volunteers, “I am sorry for putting you in this situation. Let’s make you feel more comfortable. Let’s start the 90-second clock.”

Conceptual illustration of a focus huddle. Focus Phase 1: ThattaGirl gathered the four volunteers into a circle for ten seconds and said something only the four could hear. ThattaGirl then said to the group, loud enough for the audience to hear, “All right! Back in a straight line.” And with that command, each and every formerly fidgety person now stood at attention, barely moving and apparently staring directly at the audience. ThattaGirl nodded and added, “Wow, that’s really good. I picked the best volunteers.” “We have been here for 30 seconds, and we have dramatically improved! Now, for the last 60 seconds we have available, let’s improve even more. Everybody, please gather again.” ThattaGirl whispered a brief command and then instructed them to stand in a line again. The volunteers all vigorously nodded their understanding and approval. Focus Phase 2: This time, the group of four were motionless, standing tall, eyes staring straight through the audience. ThattaGirl said, “Please give our volunteers a hand.” The audience was amazed. A round of applause filled the room. ThattaGirl opened both of her arms to hug and acknowledge the group. Then the audience began clapping even more. ThattaGirl looked at the four and complimented, “You earned that recognition. Thank you. You can sit down again.” Focus Phase 3: ThattaGirl looked down at her watch and said, “No, wait a minute. We have 20 seconds left, and since you have been such exceptional participants, we will complete the advanced lesson.” Once more, she gathered the four into a circle for a few seconds, then said, “OK, line up once more.” The audience could clearly see that not only were the volunteers not fidgeting, but they also had a serene and comfortable look on their faces. And they appeared to be incredibly focused. One more round of applause from the audience. ThattaGirl looked at the volunteers, then the audience, and said, “Seventy seconds on the dot. We have even a bit more time left.” Focus Phase 4: As ThattaGirl once more gathered the volunteers into a semicircle, she said, “Let’s do the super-advanced lesson.” The four volunteers were motionless, eyes locked and breathing rhythmically, almost in unison. The coach checked her watch again and said, "Wait, I have a small amount of time left." She then signaled to her assistant in the back of the room to put up a two-foot wide curtain blocking the view of the clock. The coach then looked at the four volunteers and asked, "What time is it?" The coach noticed the volunteers couldn't directly see the clock and were struggling to see the time from the stage, so the coach motioned with her hands for them to move to the left or right. The volunteers repositioned themselves until they had a clear view of the clock and told the coach the time. Obstacles yield to action. The coach then said, "Sometimes obstacles get in the way, but with enough focus and effort, you can see around any distractions." ThattaGirl said, “Before our volunteers return to their seats, does anybody have any questions?” The audience wondered how she transformed the four volunteers from nervous, uncomfortable people into focused and serene participants in under 90 seconds, using four, apparently, simple steps. Do you have an opinion on what ThattaGirl said at first? What could she have told the volunteers to improve their confidence? An audience member asked, “How did you do that?” ThattaGirl replied, “I am not going to tell you. But can one of our four volunteers answer the question?” All four raised their hands more confidently than before.

As focus increases, so does confidence. ThattaGirl selected one of the volunteers and said, “Can you share what I FIRST said to you?”

Intention is awareness with purpose

Focus Phase 1 - Intention: The volunteer said, “The first time ThattaGirl spoke to our group, she told us that it is common to be nervous. We didn’t know what to expect, so we focused on ourselves, on our discomfort, and that she would change that focus.”

Just observe the clock.

One simple way to focus is to… focus — on something else.

“ThattaGirl said to us, ‘You see the large clock in the back of the room, high on the wall?’” We did. “Then ThattaGirl said, ‘Just observe the clock. That’s all you have to do.’ That was the first thing she told us.” An audience member asked what ThattaGirl said during the second huddle.

Attention is focused awareness

Focus Phase 2 - Attention:One of the other four volunteers replied, "After our second huddle, she told us we were doing a great job. But, instead of staring at the clock, she told us to pay attention and do two things." The reverse Big Bang technique - expand: "First, she said to expand our perspective and look only at the wall around the clock. To notice what color it is, what material it is made of, and how high the clock is placed on the wall." The reverse Big Bang technique - contract: "Then she said to shift our attention from expansion to contraction. We had to move our focus from the wall onto the second hand and watch it as it moved around the clock. It worked. We watched the second-hand intently, we were even more focused."

It only takes a second to focus when you have something to focus upon. ThattaGirl heard a few hmm’s from the audience.

Connection is broadening your focus

Focus Phase 3 - Connection: Another audience member asked, “Then what was the ‘advanced’ lesson?” The shift from external to internal: A third 'volunteer' answered, "The 'advanced' lesson was shifting our perspective by changing our connection to the clock. Instead of the external action of watching the wall or the second-hand move, we were to shift our focus internally. We were to slowly breathe, paying attention to how our diaphragm moved in and out and connect our attention to this new connection."

Reflection is reversing your focus

Focus Phase 4 - Reflection: Lastly, another audience member asked, “Then what was the ‘super-advanced’ lesson?” The shift from viewing the object to it viewing you, and then you seeing yourself from that perspective: The fourth 'volunteer' answered by saying, "The 'super-advanced' lesson was that to demonstrate we are focused, we reflect what we see. We go from being inside ourselves and focusing outward, to going outside and focusing inward." The volunteer continued, "When we watched the second-hand move and then imagined the second-hand watching us breathe from our diaphragm. We focused our attention on an even greater internal perspective. We 'saw' the second-hand now reflecting on how our heartbeats moved with the second-hand. We completed all the focus elements - intention, attention, connection, and reflection."

The elements of focus: intention, attention, connection, and reflection. "We were so busy focusing and counting that we didn't have time to fidget, be nervous or worry about what you guys were thinking about us." Another round of acknowledgment applause. ThattaGirl said, “Let’s return to the quote we first used. Here it is again on the screen. If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. Lao Tzu Now, look at the screen. There is a third part to the quote. If you are at peace, you are living in the present. Lao Tzu

Starve your distractions, feed your focus

To increase focus, eliminate distraction. The coach concluded by saying, "Most people focus too much on what happened in the past or what is going to happen next, and not enough on what's happening now. And when you learn to focus, you will live in the present." How to focus summary: To eliminate distraction, you first create intention, then attention, followed by a connection, and finally pause for reflection. ThattaGirl said, “You’ve heard the phrase, ‘Take a deep breath?’ Well, now you know how to do that. Whenever you are stressed, out of focus, or need a quick energy recharge, simply place your gaze on a fixed object, take deep breaths and focus on your breathing. As your super-advanced technique, try to listen to your heartbeat when the room you are in is quiet enough. You can place your fingertips on your wrist if that helps.” “If you spend just 90 seconds every morning, first thing, you can set the tone for your day.” “And during the day, instead of spending any number of minutes checking email or your social media feeds, if you spend the first 90-seconds focusing on your breathing, you can enter a calm and focused state.”

Focus improves your present.   ThattaGirl said, “Thank you for attending today. To conclude today’s lesson, if you want more internal peace, you must focus on living in the moment.” Return On Thought: You can help me improve this article by highlighting anything above which you found helpful or requires improvement. You are also invited to kindly add your comments. At your service, Rod (I’ve spent way, way, way too much time out of focus until I learned how to get into focus… just so you know.)     *Just who is ThattaGirl? One of the most effective ways to calm, quiet, overcome, live with, accept, acknowledge, control, etc., your inner voice is to just give that voice a name. For those nagging negative voices, it takes away their power. So, over the years, I have implemented the 'divide-and-conquer' technique to prevent any one set of internal thoughts occupy my entire being. ThattaGirl is simply my most logical, organized, calm, and organized voice who says, "We can do better." I use other names in my writing such as: Rattaboy, Fattaboy, Thattaboy, Brattaboy, and more, to inject ideas, concepts, humor, and perspective spanning the range from insights to insecurities. No, this is not some deranged, multiple-personality cry for help, like A Beautiful Mind, Three Faces of Eve, Sybil, or Fight Club.

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