Focus on the goal to achieve it.

Concentration can be so difficult in a world where everything is distracting you. But once my cat taught me a lesson in hunting, clearly showing how to behave in order not to lose sight of the target.

THE STORY OF ONE CAT

We were returning to Sloboda by car. He was sitting on the road and was watching the mouse. We almost knocked him down, having passed very close, but he only pulled his ear, and did not even deign to turn his head: he saw HER, his target, swarming in the grass. He was so close to her and now he could no longer risk losing her out of sight.

THE GOLDEN RULE OF THE HUNTER: IF YOU SEE A TARGET, DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF IT

I still remember the ultimate tension of his elastic, like a branch of a bird cherry, fluffy body, reflecting the ultimate concentration. At that moment, only a mouse existed for it. At that moment it lived for its prey. That's why the cat caught her.

Why, then, can a cat allow itself such transcendental concentration, when it does not even notice a car literally traveling along its tail, and we, people with a "perfect" mind, complain that we cannot concentrate.

"SMARTER" DOES NOT MEAN "MORE PERFECT"

Our complex brain has not yet been polished by natural selection, so it works quite unstably: we are characterized by mood swings, problems with motivation , schizophrenia and other minor troubles that cats lack.

It can also be difficult for us to concentrate. Because we know how to go far into the future or the past, we have the ability to predict the behavior of other people and we always try to do it, we created information technologies and now we live in the world of symbols.

We constantly overload our brains with tons of information. But cats are not. We, too, once lived like cats: in the prehistoric savannah there were not so many important events and we always had time to calmly contemplate everything. But times have changed. But the brain is not. Having the same brain designed for life in the calm African savannah, we are forced to adapt it to existence in the conditions of the crazy dynamics of the modern megalopolis.

And the brain certainly can't handle it. He's overwhelmed. He loses the ability to volitional acts. You may ask, "What is the connection between the ability to focus and willpower?" It turns out to be the most direct one.

CONCENTRATION IS MINDFULLNESS

Yes exactly. Concentration is mindfulness. And attention is a product of the activity of the volitional center. When the volitional center begins to decrease activity, we lose the ability to set a goal and keep it in our field of vision.

This can be compared to the operation of a light bulb: the less voltage is applied, the dimmer it shines. And our mind plunges into darkness ... We retain the ability only to memorized, automatic actions and lose the ability to self-control.

Concentration is a constant adjustment of attention to a goal. That is, an act of will.

HOW NOT TO BE DISTRACTED FROM YOUR GOAL?

The ability to concentrate is developed using special techniques. This is a long and painstaking work, the result of which is the growth of your ability to concentrate. For example, it becomes easier for you a steamed turnip to write an article, report or letter at the moment when a kindergarten is unfolding next to you. You can even fall asleep in the most inappropriate environment by shifting your attention from outer space to inner space.

But this is all - training, the results of which begin to delight us, after months of systematic training. What about now? Now we can somehow optimize the work of our brain in order to be able to focus on the goal and not be distracted by nonsense. Yes we can.

This requires:

1. REGULATE YOUR DAILY ROUTINE. The clearer your time is, the higher your ability to concentrate. But you need to plan your time correctly. The main goal of planning is to banish haste from your life. The more fuss, the less the ability to concentrate.

2. FORM A CULTURE OF THINKING. A culture of thinking is disciplined thinking. At every moment of time, you are not thinking about anything at all, but about what you need to think about at this moment. We are used to thinking that thinking about important things can be done along the way. And this approach robs us of the ability to focus. Whatever you are doing, think about what you are doing. And if you really need to think about important things, set aside a special time for this.

3. GET RID OF UNNECESSARY THINGS IN YOUR LIFE. We don't have enough time for everything! This is our problem! Because we drag into our lives everything that lies badly. And then we don't know how to clean up this stuff. And it's a pity to throw it away! Don't be sorry. Everything has its time. Highlight a priority: there should be only one Work in your life that will develop you. You cannot ride two bicycles at the same time.

My cat, teaching me hunting lessons, went into the forest to live the life of a free hunter. It is gone, but its cultural legacy continues to inspire me in my quest for effective hunting algorithms. If you meet it where - give it my deepest bows.))