Lesson 1 from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey
Master the four stages of Hyperfocus to reap its many benefits.
The four stages of Hyperfocus are:
- Pick something you want to focus on.
- Eliminate all distractions.
- Focus your attention on that task alone.
- Redirect your mind every time it wanders.
Think about the last time you were able to exert incredible levels of concentration, and you’ll recognize all of these steps were present. It was as if time stopped and there was nothing but you and your work. And it was fun, right?
It feels great to get into moments like this, and the added productivity even helps you make more money! But how can you master each of these stages to get into Hyperfocus more frequently? Let’s look at each individually to see how it’s done.
First, choose just one thing to focus on and no more than one. The book The Myth of Multitasking will teach you why just planning to do one thing at a time is the only way to work.
Step two is to get rid of all distractions before they come up. If you struggle to open social media too often, limit your online activity with the Stayfocusd Chrome extension. Or even better, delete your social media accounts.
Third, focus only on the task that you’ve chosen during the time that you’re working. It might take practice, but you can use the Pomodoro Technique to help.
And finally, as you’re working, bring your attention back to your task whenever it wanders.