Focus: The Skill That Gives Us Back Our Time and Our Peace!
- Julie Jones
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
If you're anything like me, you've stared at your to-do list, noticed the clock, felt your heart speed up a little… and wondered how in the world you’re going to get everything done.
You promise yourself you’ll “focus,” but two minutes later you’re thinking about a snack, an email you forgot to send and the fact that your shoes still aren’t tied.
We all feel this. I’m living this BIG TIME right now. A LOT is going on in my world and I know there’s a better way to approach it all!
And the message we’ve been fed for years? You need more discipline. More time. More structure.
But none of that is really the problem.
The truth is simple: Although it may feel like it, we don’t have a time problem. We have an attention problem.
Or maybe I should speak for myself…I HAVE AN ATTENTION PROBLEM and it makes me feel like I have a time problem!
But the good news? Attention is one of the most trainable skills we have.
If I’m honest, I’m writing this because I need it. I can only hope it helps you, too…especially as we head into the holiday season!
Whether you’re lining up a critical putt on 18, solving a tight engineering problem, making a coaching decision in real time, or trying to lead your team through chaos…your ability to FOCUS is your competitive advantage.
Most people think of focus as “paying attention,” but the science shows it’s much more powerful than that.
Here’s what research and science tell us!
#1 - If we can manage our focus, we will make fewer “I can’t believe I did that” mistakes!
Why? We miss about 50% of our lives due to distractions. Fifty PERCENT! That means we miss details, rush decisions, have sloppy mechanics and tend to react instead of respond!
A sharpened focus reduces errors. Consistency improves. Confidence rises.
#2 – If we can manage our focus, we become more resilient under pressure!
How do we know? Dr. Amish Jha’s research indicates that attention is the first system to break down when stress levels rise. That’s when we start worrying about outcomes, replaying mistakes and thinking about what-ifs!
Training your attention protects us against this breakdown. We stay in the moment when others crumble.
This is how we avoid choking! Not by being tougher, but by being more TRAINED!
#3 – If we can manage our focus, we learn faster and more deeply!
How? Focused attention releases neurochemicals (acetylcholine, dopamine) that literally TAG your experience as important. This leads to faster skill acquisition, better memory, stronger confidence and deeper learning
Focus fuels neuroplasticity, our brain’s ability to grow!
So what do we need to do, you say?
Here are three simple, fast and proven tools we can use TODAY!
We don’t need an hour of meditation. We don’t need silence, even though it would be nice at times 😊!. We don’t need to sit in a pretzel position and chant.
We need reps. Just small, consistent training moments. It’s just like training anything else! And simple is always better, even though my mind thinks otherwise…often!
Here’s the first tool we can use…. The 10-second reset!
Try this the next time you feel scattered, stressed or overwhelmed! As Dr. Ziegler said, the first step is gaining emotional control…which allows us to control everything else. And what better to do than this?
Simply inhale through your nose…take a second quick sniff followed by a long exhale through your mouth. Add in our vision tools and relax your eyes. Then ask, “Where is my attention right now?”
This resets your nervous system and brings you back online in 10 seconds.
Need something a little deeper? Try the 90-second drift drill!
Did you know they have a Mind Wandering Lab at UC Santa Barbara? Had I known, I would have visited and let them do some research when we were out there to watch the Zips win the National Championship in men’s soccer! What a thrill that was!
But back to training, try this weightlifting version of focus training. Pick an object. Focus on it.
When your mind drifts (it WILL)…gently bring it back.
That’s the rep. One minute of this builds attentional stamina the way squats build legs. EVERY TIME you redirect your attention, you are building your “focus muscle”…simply put, you get stronger!
Want to talk about simple? Try the W.I.N. cue!
Simply ask, What’s Important Now? Say it when you’re overwhelmed, annoyed, spiraling, frustrated or in the middle of a busy day!
Bonus use…it may come in handy at the Thanksgiving table depending on the conversation 😉!
This cue snaps your brain back to the task, information or moment that matters most.
We can ALL benefit from more focused attention. A few extra hours in a day would be great…but it’s never going to happen, and we need to sleep sometime. So it’s on us to find ways to better use the time we have and that starts with better use of our attention!
A 10-second reset. A 90-second drill. A simple WIN cue could be the answer!
We don’t need to overhaul your life. We just need to aim our flashlight…we only have ONE!
Because when we train our attention, we feel calmer, decisions get clearer, mistakes go down, our confidence rises, learning accelerates and our performance becomes more consistent!
And the best part? Focused people feel like they have more time and more peace.
That’s the real win.
I know all of these tools. Now it’s my job to use them to my advantage. Will you join me…one rep at a time!
Here’s to being where our feet are, so everything is better!
Manage the moments!
Julie
P.S. As the new year approaches, make a plan to take a new mental approach! Reach out and let’s build the perfect one for you! Shoot me an email or text – juliej@ssbperformance.com or 234-206-0946
Julie Jones
Mental Performance Coach
SSB Performance
juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946