I already wrote a post about focus a few months back, but since it’s been prevalent in my life lately, I want to write about it again:
It’s been hard for me to focus lately. I find my mind drifting when trying to get work done, whether that be schoolwork, personal projects, or anything in between.
No matter how hard I try, I can’t sit in silence for long periods of time without getting distracted one way or another. And honestly, I think much of the reason stems from social media and my smartphone:
My mind isn’t used to doing hard things for large chunks of time. It’s been ‘programmed’ to expect shortform content like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels, and that constant need for a quick dopamine hit has been devastating to my ability to focus.
Given the technological age that we’re in, it’s become more apparent to me how valuable silence, clarity, and intentionality are. I recently started studying a book called “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. In it, he expands on this topic of deep work and why it’s so rare and valuable given the dominance of technology.
And this book was written in 2016, before the creation of TikTok or the AI boom. Now, his claims prove to be even more accurate.
I’m striving to be at a mental place where I can sit down and do my work without distractions. For maybe one hour at first. Then two, then three, and build up from there. This way, I can get more work done in less time compared to shallow multitasking.
To accomplish this, I will:
Continue studying “Deep Work” by Cal Newport, and
Nurture a distraction-free environment, the main change being leaving my phone in another room.
This is my focal point for the week. If you relate to this post, I highly encourage you to focus on focusing during the next few days. I strongly believe it will make a huge difference in your life.
While getting more done is a large reason why I’m trying to improve my focus, there is also a larger more important reason:
To spend quality time in the word of God.
I want to better grasp what I read rather than skimming the surface of Scripture. In this aspect, focus is vital.
Keep making progress. Change for the better. Live the Heming-way.
God bless,
Trevor
p.s. Isaiah 26:3