# Focus

[Focus (absorption, concentration) is the ability to narrow the attention so as to apply it in a more detailed and penetrating way for sustained periods of time on some chosen part of your present experience](https://www.lesswrong.com/s/xqgwpmwDYsn8osoje/p/35eEHAXis3jMqETod).

- Whatever your primary motivations are in life, you won't get anywhere by waiting for something to happen. [[Planning|Plan]]! It'll never be the right [[Time|time]].
  - Humans do not think [[Thinking|strategically]] by default.
- Environmental changes can make it easier to attend effectively to the right things.
  - Removing clutter and other distractions can make attention less difficult, for which the virtues of orderliness and simplicity can help.
  - Disable notifications and badges so that you don't mindlessly open distracting apps.
- [[Meditation|Mindfulness meditation]], e.g. breath-counting, seems to be a go-to technique for developing focus.
- Periodic exposure to nature and out-of-doors in a relaxing, undemanding way can restore attention capability.
- [Attention is a scarce resource](https://youtu.be/ZWI4_Oe-Qbs). Everything in the world is fighting to get yours.
- [When a problem becomes the top idea in your mind](https://www.benkuhn.net/attention/), you reach the 50%+ focus tier that drives [[Productivity]]. You can only hold one such slot at a time. Stay with one problem even when blocked to force [[Problem Solving]] breakthroughs instead of context-switching.
- Batch low-value chores into a fixed window and close open loops fast to protect [[Time]].
- Some [sounds or music](https://mynoise.net/) can help you focus.
- [The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing](https://mattrickard.com/keep-the-main-thing-the-main-thing).