We have heard that focus is first skill needed in reaching any goal because unless you focus on a topic you cannot store into the subconscious mind. But once learnt and neural connections established there is no need to spend your focus on that skill. For example – once you have learnt driving you can use your focus on other thought processing (driving goes as a background task). Do you think the same, write in the comment box and give your valuable opinion.
How do we focus then as our conscious mind continuously wanders like a monkey? Use Pomodoro, use some rewards system and so on…. but this techniques only work upto you apply it judiciously and sometimes your mind doesn’t want you to apply the technique. Lets take a case, you have to wash the utensils which you consider the last thing which you will do in life. Now your mind says we will do it later. If at all you go to the place your mind find what are the problems there (there is no soap for example) and then your mind wins and you procrastinate. Whereas a growth mindset will think lets get the soap from the shop nearby or order it, meanwhile I can sort the utensils and its the most rewarding thing in my life as it lets me be grounded and be self sufficient. Growth mindset think what else I can do better, what additional stuff I can do (like keeping the utensils in the rack) or what I can do to reduce the time or what I can do to clean it better and so on. So starting point for focus is developing interest in the topic.
How do we develop interest in the boring things? Think – Think – Think. Techniques which work for me will not work for others, have your learning, experience and methods. What I use is set of questions to develop interest. Go deeper and deeper in your thoughts. Considering our previous example
Q1 – I asked to my mind why you don’t want to do it or not interested?
A1 (Conscious Mind response) – Its boring
Q2 – Why you consider it as boring?
A2 – I am not in mood, I am emotionally low, I have an option to skip, I am tired, I am sick, I have to focus on multiple tasks, There is an ordering thought to do, Its going to take effort, its a repetitive task, I have to do it alone, It will take time and its a dirty thing to do (Here you see there are multiple reasons coming up)
Q3.1 – Why I have an option to skip?
A3.1 – I have a choice to select between tasks (important & unimportant)
Q4.1 – Why you have a choice to select between tasks?
A4.1 – because I am not going to lose anything.
Q5.1 – Why are you not losing anything?
A5.1 – because There is no life or death situation
Q6.1 – Why there is no life or death situation?
A6.1 – Noone is dying or getting life here
Like this you need to dig down your thoughts and understand the underlying beliefs, values & moral system and change that.