How I Stay Focused Studying for Long Hours. Full Guide.
Summary
TLDRZaynon Smith, a third-year medical student, presents a comprehensive guide on mastering focus. He outlines three key steps: preparing for focus by eliminating distractions and setting a routine, hacking the focus through understanding the flow state and managing internal triggers, and excelling with focus by setting clear goals and leveraging passion. Smith's practical tips, backed by research, aim to help viewers develop the ability to concentrate deeply and efficiently, transforming their learning and productivity.
Takeaways
- 😀 Less than 10% of viewers have the attention span to watch a video to the end, which is ironic since they need the content the most.
- 🎓 Zaynon Smith, a medical student, shares a comprehensive guide on mastering focus, based on over 13 hours of research, four books, and numerous podcasts.
- 👀 The first practical step to improve focus is to go full screen and minimize distractions, training the mind to concentrate on the task at hand.
- 🔕 Eliminate external triggers by disabling non-essential notifications on devices to prevent the brain from entering a loop of constant distraction.
- ⏰ Schedule work effectively to avoid wasting mental energy on deciding what to do next, which can quickly deplete focus.
- 📅 Create a weekly task list and transfer tasks onto a daily calendar to stay organized and focused, treating the calendar as a flexible guide rather than a strict schedule.
- 🛠 Develop a pre-work routine to condition the mind for focus, such as going to the same place, having a coffee, and preparing the workspace.
- 💡 Understanding the 'Flow State' involves recognizing the initial struggle phase and pushing through it to achieve deep focus and productivity.
- 📝 Use a Post-It note to jot down distractions as they arise, helping to identify and manage internal triggers that lead to a loss of focus.
- 🕒 Apply the 10-minute rule to resist distractions, giving oneself a short-term goal to stay focused before addressing the urge to check phones or snacks.
- 🚀 Leverage passion and curiosity to achieve significant improvements in skills and knowledge, rather than relying on incremental one-percent gains.
Q & A
What is the ironic statement made at the beginning of the video?
-The ironic statement is that less than 10 percent of viewers will have the attention span to watch the entire video, which is about mastering focus and staying focused, a skill that the viewers likely need.
Who is the speaker in the video and what is their educational background?
-The speaker is Zaynon Smith, a third-year medical student studying at the University of Manchester.
What does Zaynon Smith claim to have spent over 13 hours on to create the guide?
-Zaynon Smith claims to have spent over 13 hours on reading four full books, listening to countless podcasts, and conducting research to create the guide on mastering focus.
What is the first practical action Zaynon suggests to improve focus?
-The first practical action suggested is to go full screen on the video and focus on the speaker's eyes, as if having an in-person conversation, to train the mind to focus in real time.
What is the mindset change Zaynon encourages regarding focus?
-Zaynon encourages the mindset change that focus is not something one inherently has or lacks, but rather something that can be developed and improved over time.
What are the three major steps to becoming a highly focused individual according to the guide?
-The three major steps are: Step one - Prepare for Focus, Step two - Hack the Focus, and Step three - Excel with Focus.
What is the advice given for removing external triggers to focus?
-The advice given is to disable notifications for all non-essential apps on one's phone and to inform family members of the need for uninterrupted focus time.
How does Zaynon suggest organizing work to improve focus?
-Zaynon suggests making a weekly task list and transferring tasks onto a daily calendar, creating a schedule that runs on autopilot and reduces the mental energy spent on deciding what to do.
What is the 'Flow State' as described in the video?
-The 'Flow State' is described as a state of hyper-productivity where one is totally absorbed in what they are doing, with distractions fading away and focus being effortless.
What are the two practical actions Zaynon suggests to overcome the initial struggle phase of the flow cycle?
-The two practical actions are: 1) Having a Post-It note and pen to write down the sensations that make one want to leave work, and 2) Using Neil Eyers' 10-minute rule to delay gratification and regain focus.
What is the 'four percent challenge' and how does it relate to the skill ratio for achieving flow?
-The 'four percent challenge' is the idea of pushing oneself only a little bit beyond the comfort zone by challenging oneself four percent more than usual every time one studies, maintaining the same quality of learning, to find the perfect balance between task challenge and skill level.
How does Zaynon define the role of passion in achieving focus and flow states?
-Zaynon defines passion as the fastest way to become laser-focused, get into flow states, and learn skills much faster than incremental one percent improvements. He suggests capitalizing on moments of passion to make significant progress in a short time.
What is the importance of the recovery phase after a flow state, and what should one avoid during this phase?
-The recovery phase is important to consolidate learning and to prevent burnout. One should avoid using their phone and engaging in social media during this phase to ensure effective consolidation of the information learned and to prepare for re-entering the flow state.
Outlines
🎓 Mastering Focus: A Comprehensive Guide
Zaynon Smith, a medical student at the University of Manchester, introduces a three-part guide aimed at teaching viewers how to enhance their focus. The video is a result of extensive research, including books and podcasts, and promises practical advice to help viewers overcome distractions and achieve a 'flow state.' The guide is structured into three steps: preparing for focus, hacking focus, and excelling with focus. The first practical tip is to watch the video in full screen, simulating an in-person conversation to train the mind to focus.
🛡️ Eliminating Distractions: The First Step to Focus
The first step in the guide involves preparing for focus by eliminating external triggers. Zaynon shares a personal anecdote about the disruptive power of phone notifications and advises viewers to disable non-essential notifications on their devices. He recommends using browser extensions to reduce distractions from websites and suggests setting boundaries with family members to minimize interruptions during study sessions. The goal is to train the brain to avoid the loop of reacting to external triggers, thus improving focus.
📅 Scheduling for Success: Organizing Your Work
In the second paragraph, Zaynon emphasizes the importance of scheduling work to prevent the loss of focus due to indecision and task-switching. He recommends creating a weekly task list and transferring tasks to a daily calendar, which helps in reducing mental energy spent on deciding what to do. Zaynon also advises treating the calendar as a flexible guide rather than a rigid plan, promoting a mindset of time management that can lead to increased focus and productivity.
🔑 Building Routines and Hacking the Focus
The third paragraph delves into building routines to signal the brain to focus. Zaynon suggests creating a pre-work ritual that conditions the mind to prepare for focused work sessions. He also discusses the importance of setting up an inspiring work environment. The 'hack the focus' section addresses the internal triggers that cause distractions and provides strategies to push past the initial resistance and maintain focus, including the use of a Post-It note to record distractions and applying Neil Eyers' 10-minute rule to delay gratification.
🚀 Accelerating Learning with the Flow State
Zaynon explains the concept of the 'flow state' and its significance in boosting productivity and learning. He outlines the four stages of the flow cycle, emphasizing the importance of persisting through the initial struggle phase. The paragraph offers practical advice on how to combat distractions and enter the flow state more effectively, including setting clear goals, building intrigue, and maintaining a balance between challenge and skill level.
🌟 Capitalizing on Passion for Enhanced Focus
In this paragraph, Zaynon discusses the role of passion in achieving flow states and improving focus. He argues against the idea of incremental one percent improvements, advocating instead for leveraging moments of intense interest and passion to make significant progress in a short time. The paragraph also introduces the 'four percent challenge,' which encourages pushing oneself slightly beyond the comfort zone to maintain engagement and prevent boredom or frustration.
🔄 The Recovery Phase: Regaining Focus After a Break
The final paragraph focuses on the recovery phase of the flow cycle, which is essential for sustaining focus throughout the day. Zaynon acknowledges the challenge of re-entering the flow state after a break and suggests strategies for active recovery, such as engaging in non-distractive activities like spending time with family or going for a walk. He also offers personal assistance to viewers who may need help applying the guide's principles to their specific situations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Attention Span
💡Flow State
💡Distractions
💡Mindset
💡Preparation
💡Routine
💡Internal Triggers
💡Post-It Note Technique
💡Four Percent Challenge
💡Recovery Phase
💡Passion
Highlights
Less than 10 percent of viewers have the attention span to watch a video till the end, which is ironic since they need the content the most.
Zaynon Smith, a third-year medical student, created a guide on mastering focus, drawing from over 13 hours of research, four books, and countless podcasts.
The guide offers actionable, practical steps to improve focus and overcome distractions.
The importance of full-screen mode and maintaining eye contact with the speaker to train the mind to focus in real time.
The misconception that focus is a fixed trait is debunked; focus is a skill that can be developed.
Three major steps to becoming a highly focused individual: preparing for focus, hacking the focus, and excelling with focus.
The necessity of removing external triggers like phone notifications to prevent distraction.
A practical action to disable notifications on your phone to regain control over your attention.
The idea of scheduling work to prevent wasting mental energy on deciding what to do next.
Creating a routine to condition the mind for focus and making work feel like a mission.
The concept of the Flow State and how it is a gradual cycle, not just an on/off state.
Strategies to fight the initial struggle phase of the Flow State, including writing down distractions and using the 10-minute rule.
The importance of clear goals for singular focus and the role of calendar scheduling.
Building intrigue in tasks to increase the likelihood of entering a Flow State.
The 'Four Percent Challenge' to skill ratio as a key trigger for achieving Flow State.
The role of passion as a catalyst for rapid improvement and entering Flow State.
The recovery phase of the Flow State and the importance of active recovery to sustain focus.
Zaynon Smith offers personalized help for those struggling with focus, emphasizing the need for proactive application of the guide's advice.
Transcripts
less than 10 percent of viewers will
actually have the attention span to
watch till the end of this video which
is ironic because the people that enough
to be will click off are the people that
needed this video the most my name is
zaynon Smith I'm a third year medical
student studying at the University of
Manchester and today I've created a
three-part full practical and realistic
guide on how to master focus and stay
focused for long hours this is the one
guide that you will need to become a
highly focused individual especially if
you're learning working studying all of
it it took me over 13 hours four full
books and countless podcasts all of it
to come up with this so I can honestly
guarantee that if you listen and take
action right now because yes this guide
is filled with actionable practical
things that you can do right now while
you watch I can guarantee that you will
overcome your distractions and learn
every crucial trigger there is to get
into that focused Flow State jumping
right in the first practical action that
you can take right now is to full screen
this video no looking around no looking
at your phone just look straight into to
my eyes almost squint it's almost a bit
weird but act as if we're actually
having an in-person present conversation
implementing this will train your mind
to focus in real time as we speak about
it and it's also linked to one of the
later steps of the guide a quick aside
on mindset we need to get away from the
idea that focus is something you have or
don't have because I don't care who you
are focus is absolutely something that
you can develop that is the whole reason
that I'm making this video it's selfish
I wanted to take my own Focus to the
next level and learn to get into those
focused flow States faster and with more
intentionality there's three major steps
to becoming a highly focused individual
in my humble opinion you can think of it
as level one two and three that you
progress through on your journey to
becoming more focused step one prepare
for Focus step two hack the focus and
step 3 Excel with Focus step one prepare
for Focus let's start with preparing for
Focus look Focus isn't just built when
you're working you have to lay the
foundation before you start you can't
just magically jump in the Flow State
and focus for hours without some level
of prep and that is what this step is
about these are the minimum requirements
part one remove the external triggers a
few months ago I was learning about
kidney dysfunctions and I was finally
understanding it I actually got excited
while I was piecing it together and all
of a sudden my phone buzzed it was a
lecture time change so I picked it up
armless scrolled into the email and
while I was reading my friend sorry
sending me a ton of messages I was like
okay no let me Focus I need to get some
work done my phone kept buzzing kept
looking over what if it's urgent and I
just went okay just let me just pick it
up and I started picking it up and
scrolling and looking at the messages
replying to them replying to someone
else and while I was replying to someone
else I waited and went on Tick Tock and
before I knew it it had been more than
45 minutes it always starts with a
harmless distraction that turns into a
full-spiring binge that then rips you
away from your task and whenever I had
my phone only while I was studying it
never mattered how motivated or
disciplined I was I was always checking
messages or scrolling or something the
more we just react to these external
triggers the more we're training our
brain to mean this never-ending Loop and
harder it is to get what we planned done
and so this is the second action go on
your phone and disable notifications for
all the apps that you get them from the
most do it right now just take two
minutes to set it all up go on settings
manage notifications and click on each
app Instagram Snapchat Tick Tock new
messages from everyone except two or
three important people put everything on
do not disturb and not just for studying
just have it like this from now on I can
go unattention about how attention is
the most valuable asset and that all the
times that that notification interrupted
the sweet genuine conversation that
you're having with your mom but it's not
even that just respect yourself to
realize what's repeatedly happening here
every time something poops on your phone
and you click on it you're giving it
control you're telling it yeah I don't
value my time you're free to disrupt and
disturb whatever I'm doing with the
smallest Randomness crap notification so
please I know this is a big deal to some
it might be obvious to others but make a
start to redeeming that short destroyed
attention span and disable notifications
and yes the ones in your desktop and Mac
as well for me YouTube was one of my
biggest instructions so I downloaded
this extension called df2 I'll link it
but what it essentially does is that it
removes all the titles thumbnails
everything that could possibly pull you
in and generally when I did that it
reduced my distraction time to almost
nothing and you know what I noticed that
I was swiping away from my work click on
YouTube only to see that there was
nothing there and as soon as I saw blank
tree and I was like okay no this is this
is pointless let me just snap out of it
I went back to work so take this small
step even as an experiment and trust me
you'll truly realize that turning
notifications off and putting limits on
your socials is not a big deal at all
and you'll start to only go on your
phone when you plan to and need to and
as a result save years of your life by
the way these external triggers can also
be people like family so if you're at
home tell your brothers and parents that
okay I need to go Focus for a couple
hours on my work do you guys need me for
anything make sure you tell them that I
don't want to be interrupted for example
till like 5 PM because people and family
are a big factor that take us away from
Focus but they never do it on purpose
they want the best for us so make it
clear to them in a nice passionate way
that you know while I'm having tough
time focusing while studying so can I
just have a few hours of solitude that's
the only way part two schedule the work
people sabotage their own ability to
focus if you just sit there wasting
mental energy thinking and deciding what
to do you lose concentration in 30
seconds you'll start to work on
something then realize oh I have to do
this I have to do that I have to reply
to this email and you'll start jumping
from task to task not getting anything
substantial done so we need to organize
ourselves especially as students we need
to learn to run our life using systems I
only spend five minutes five minutes to
plan out all my work and then my rain
runs on autopilot which makes focusing
so easy just make a weekly task list
everything that you have to get done
that week and then each day sit on the
toilet or on the way to UNI and transfer
tasks from that list onto the free slots
of your calendar that's it it literally
takes two minutes and then you actually
do them it's all scheduled and time
boxed out and then you don't have to
think oh I have to do this and this you
don't have to stress at all you can just
follow us on your calendar however the
mistake that that most people make and
the reason that you don't want to make
that calendar right now is because
you're treating each task as this set in
stone thing that if one thing isn't done
then everything else will fall apart no
the calendar is just there to help you
it's there to act as a guide as an
inspiration for how you want your day to
run it's just there to Free Your Mind of
the tension and give it space to focus
it's not God it's a guide and so the
next practical option is for you to make
a list of all the tasks that you have to
complete this week make it now just it
takes five seconds it should go on your
phone and note on all the homeworks and
studying the topics that you have to
study it's a tiny list and then open
Google Calendar or Apple calendar and
start planning your day out try it with
even just one day add some recurring
events on there like dinner lunch gym
family time plans with friends whatever
it is and then the free spaces you have
in there which you'll realize you don't
have that many of add in the weekly
tasks that you want to get done today I
only saw a scheduling strictly like this
this year and the weeks and the days I
don't do it I noticeably see my focus
levels just fall to the ground it's
because at one point I have so many
different things that I could be doing
from YouTube scripts to actually
studying to making tick tocks and that's
how it is for our students there's not
that many deadlines that keep us on
track like there are for people on jobs
that actually work being on top of
revision isn't a deadline there's no one
checking on us and our monkey brain
knows that we don't have this deadline
that we don't need to do anything in
particular right now so help yourself
focused with your own time management
you'll stay on track like 80 percent of
the time and the thing is the more
focused writing sessions the more
stunning sessions you do the more
motivated you'll become to get into that
flow State part three build the perfect
routine to make the most of the actual
work session and to keep on getting into
that focused state every day we need to
do a series of familiar things that
train our mind before we work iea ritual
or routine and yes doing the same thing
does condition your mind over time to
get into Focus but it does something
else as well it makes a difference in
the short term as well because having a
routine changes the way you think about
the work on a deeper level for me what I
do is quite simple I go to the same
Library grab a black coffee or latte sit
down to work get everything out on the
table already set to go switch my phone
off chop the phone in my bag put the bag
away say a small prayer to my head say
one two three and go start without
thinking any further and most of this
stuff is done every time I sit down to
write a script or do a serious study
session because I don't treat work as a
random activity I treat it as a mission
and by showing dedication to it this way
you're more likely to get into that
focused mode one thing though make sure
your routine decreases the friction for
you to start the work and also study in
an inspiring Place green plants natural
lights all if it helps for me I was in
the library so I was surrounded by books
of shelves and actually other dedicated
students to a pretty inspiring
atmosphere and I know finding that
effective routine takes a bit of
experimentation but I assure you it's
worth it to focus deeply is a big deal
and providing your mind with structure
and showing commitment like this will
make it easier and easier for you to
slip into the flow states where you can
do the things that actually matter step
two hack the focus after preparing for
the focused work comes hacking the focus
this is step two now we get into the
work session once you've removed
instructions set a plan for yourself and
done a basic routine to get your mind
into a focused State then the question
becomes how do you maintain that Focus
state for longer than the 20 seconds
that your tiny attention span can handle
because now you're in a good environment
you have no external triggers no
notifications you have a set plan that
you have to get done so why can you
still not focus well it's because
contrary to popular belief only 10 of
distractions are from external sources
the rest are from internal triggers I
want you to remember this all human
behavior is motivated by a desire to
escape discomfort that's what you're
doing when you start thinking about
random stuff during the work or you
leave the work to go get a snack or you
start picking up your phone again after
a few minutes it's what you're doing
when you feel stressed when you feel
overwhelmed when you're feeling bored
about the work the reason varies but
what's clear is that your mind is
helping you procrastinate to get you
away from the uncomfortable phase of
getting into that Flow State and that's
what this step will help you master this
is how you practically push past that
resistance in your mind and hack the
focus part one Flow State fight the
loading phase first let me break down
what the flow state is because as much
as it is a magical State it's not this
impossible thing to achieve I can almost
guarantee that you've all been in it
before I want you to remember the last
time that you were hyper productive
totally absorbed in what you were doing
that was flow flow is just effortless
effort everything around you disappears
you're just being propelled through the
work small things can yeah pop up from
time to time but mostly you're writing
from one sentence after the other
hitting one problem after the other and
the thing is most of you can attest this
when you're in flow it doesn't feel like
anything special you're just doing
deeply focused work and nothing else in
your mind is happening only when you
come out of it do you realize oh that
was sick I didn't even realize it had
been that long I got so much done so
what I want to make here is that it's
not this Enchanted thing it's something
all of us can do every single day and
the best part is what I've learned from
the research of miatrics and mihad the
Godfather of flow science and recent
biologists like Stephen Cotner is that
Flo isn't this thing where you're either
in the zone or out of it it's a
four-step gradual cycle where the first
half of the cycle is a step of struggle
the loading phase it happens when you
first start the task there's cortisol
and norepinephrine release and it makes
you feel discomfort it makes you squirm
it makes you want to leave the task that
you're doing and honestly when I read
that I was like yes thank God so okay
that's the first step there should be
struggle me not being able to focus and
actually getting distracted in the first
part of my study is something that's
supposed to happen we're supposed to
push past that resistance though not
being able to focus and my mind
distracting me doesn't mean I'm
incapable of focus it's just how it is
that's the first part and our job is to
get pasta then the second phase is
release as you persist your brain
produces more dopamine which enhances
focus and concentration and essentially
pops you out of that struggle no
motivation phase and then you're in flow
huge release of chemicals like dopamine
anandamide serotonin all which are
associated with things like with States
like the runner's high all of it
increasing your pattern recognition
increasing learning speeds and once
that's done then you're in recovery and
yes I can talk about each step in detail
but I want to put the most attention on
that initial struggle phase which can
last up to 25 minutes that loading phase
is where most people spend the entirety
of their working lives dropping in and
out of the first few minutes of the flow
cycle not being able to persist long
enough and the Overflow researchers just
tell us to push through and persist but
that isn't always practical is it to
like just push through the work so here
are the two practical actions I want you
to take to learn to push past that
loading phase and to get into the flow
state number one is simple have a
Post-It note and a pen next to you while
you work and as soon as you see yourself
drift away from the work just stay and
write down the Sensation that made you
want to leave the work even if it's just
a word or two I don't know where to
start I don't know anything I'm too
tired make it specific even if you're
about to get into the distraction just
write it down because the better you
become at noticing the behavior the
better you'll manage it over time and he
has a bit extra to rub a posting and
right where you're thinking down but
honestly just do it a few times I've had
a Post-It note next to me for the last
four weeks now and for me I most
commonly stop pushing with the work when
I just finished the paragraph or just
finished studying a section of the
chapter and I don't know what exactly to
do that's like what my next specific
step is and that's when I get distracted
and I was only able to figure this out
and fight against the internal
distractions after I identified it only
then can you pause and reframe the
thought if you're getting a bunch of
questions wrong and you feel frustrated
just pause and think okay getting
questions wrong is part of the process
it's good that I care this much about
the revision but I actually get
frustrated about getting stuff wrong it
means I'm stressed because I actually
care about this exam and once you start
seeing the same recurring thought again
and again you start to thinking bro this
is stupid I'm not I don't even need to
reframe this I can just push past this I
know what it is and now number two the
second action to take to get past that
struggle phase is Neil eyer's 10 minute
rule so you've already written down what
was making you want to leave the work
and go on your phone or whatever and
it's not getting out of your head so you
think okay cool I can give into that
distraction but not right now I can give
into it in 10 minutes but not before
then after 10 minutes I can go get that
snack and check my phone do whatever I
wanted to do and what that does is that
it gives you autonomy you decide the
mistake that most people make is that
they go too hard with the full
abstinence I'll never eat sugar again I
will never go on my phone for the whole
day now I'll be 100 focused instead of
thinking like okay look I'm an adult I
can choose what I want to do and I can
choose right now to not get off track
for the next 10 minutes after that I'm
free to do what I want to do and the
thing is you rarely do the thing after
10 minutes it was a moment of weakness
you've thought about it and now you're
back into Focus if you just gave into
the feeling of being bored or stressed
and went on your phone as a coping
mechanism you're immediately giving
relief whereas if you follow the 10
minute rule you're teaching yourself to
delay gratification education you're
actually telling yourself okay I have
the power see I'm not addicted as long
as I use these practices I am in control
part two The Power of sitting there but
remember the goal is not to reach the
Flow State the goal has always been to
train your mind to combat distractions
stay focused and get what you plan to do
on your calendar done the truth is what
I've learned is that you're not always
going to get into that perfect nice Flow
State where you're completely focused
even if you try really really hard and
sip it for ages it's like what Stephen
pressfield says in the war of art
writing isn't the hard part the hard
part is sitting down to right it's about
getting your butt in the chair and
before we continue with this video could
you do me a little favor could you on
full screen scroll a little down
subscribe like spam the comments a
little indicate to the YouTube algorithm
that you're enjoying the video I don't
think I've ever said that in the middle
of a video before but I truly think that
the lessons and the the Practical tips
within this guide has the potential to
truly change the way someone Works
studies lives their life and obviously
once you're done with this scroll back
up full screen the video again and let's
get back into it step 3 excelling with
Focus now that we've talked about the
Practical aspects of getting past the
things that take us away from focus and
the ways to beat that struggle phase we
can now finally talk about the ways to
get better at focusing all the specific
triggers that can get us into the Flow
State faster and for longer where you're
learning is 10x 50x 100x and you're
actually excellent see the reason this
happens is because flow is the one time
the one instance where our body
generates this cocktail of feel-good
chemicals like dopamine serotonin
andantomide when we move into flow we
take in more information and we pay more
attention to that information so our
understanding goes up we find Foster
connections between this new information
and the old existing ideas we have so
encoding and pattern recognition
increases as well and the more feel good
chemicals that are present in your brain
the more likely that new information is
going from short-term holding to
long-term storage with those chemicals
they put post signals they put actual
signs next to the new information that
you have telling your brain okay this is
important this was a high yield
experience take this that's why that's
why learning improves so much when you
improve your focus and get into that
flow State these are certain factors
certain preconditions that trigger your
mind to get into that flow State and
they've been the focal point of flow
research for the last decade big
scientists and people from the flow
Genome Project have all pioneered on
various studies testing CEOs athletes
regular people as well students and of
all in a very short period of time
improve their focus levels between up to
35 to 80 percent and they did this using
certain flow triggers and in this step
I'm going to go through the four most
important ones that I found to be most
impactful for me and for the people in
the studies the first basic trigger is
having clear goals there's a reason that
we put the Practical action of making a
calendar and scheduling your work in so
early on in the guide It's because it's
the one thing that creates singular
Focus so that when you start to study or
learn a topic for two hours for example
you can devote absolutely everything to
it there's no confusion of I don't know
what to do you need to know what you're
doing how you're doing it and why you're
doing it but on a wider level you also
need Clarity on the bigger goals even
though I'm not one of those people that
regularly writes my goals down in my
head I actively plan in the space of a
few months to have two to three big
Milestones that I'm always working on I
think in the Summers this month it was
the post consistently and create good
content on YouTube it was a lot of it
was to do with family time and friends
and with the last Milestone I had was to
do with Fitness as well and then when
I'm back in med school I'd be to focus
on third year start on the USMLE and
other things will move down the priority
line but I'm always clear on the big
Milestones the overarching things that
I'm working towards and everything on my
calendar and my the lists of tasks that
I have is to do with those big
milestones and as long as you have that
level of clarity whatever you're doing
you'll be able to focus on with absolute
certainty the second trigger is building
Intrigue the human mind wants to learn
and grow but if we find something boring
our brain won't anticipate future reward
so it'll produce less dopamine and will
be less likely to get into a flow State
and yeah you can try and gamify it and
try to find scores and points and ways
to make the work more fun but to truly
enjoy it you need to find the Intrigue
in it to be honest I've always enjoyed
studying and learning it's because I'm
naturally quite good at asking questions
about very specific things and finding
the Kinks and the faults and processes
and arguments and when you do that when
you engage your mind like that almost
everything becomes more intriguing one
thing I do to build Intrigue is that
quite early on I realized that if I'm
going to stay awake in half the classes
I have I'm gonna either need to a find
the interesting points and the things
that interest me and then ask questions
about it or B this is a bit weird but
Find the Errors and kinks in the way
it's being taught see I think most
classes are too slow and naturally what
happens for me I'm sure what happens for
a lot of people is that we jump to the
next thing that they're gonna say and
start thinking about the conclusions
that they're going to make of their
argument before they've even started
talking about the topic but once you
actively start to do this and jump to
those conclusions with like intention
okay I'm gonna try and figure out what
he's gonna say next you start to think
Hmm how is this guy not making sense if
they explain something then I'm thinking
okay how is this gonna actually help me
learn the topic better is it gonna
actually feed into any of my older ideas
What's Happening Here is that my brain
is being critical and it's grabbing onto
the Loose Ends of information that I'm
getting from the professor and finding
ways to tie them up and this nerdy
analyzing thing I do questioning the way
things are being taught finding gaps and
questioning them it unintentionally
grabs my focus and prolongs it till the
end of the lecture because I'm invested
I'm invested in tying up the Loose Ends
proving myself right proving something
else wrong and this sort of stuff
genuinely builds Intrigue it's what you
have to do on your own when you're
studying as well part three or trigger
three the four percent challenge to
skill ratio there's 22 flow triggers
that due to the Flow State and I can put
them all up here but this one according
to the science is the one that has given
the most results and improved people's
Focus the most when psychologists study
flow what they found is that there needs
to be a perfect balance between the
challenge of the tasks and the skill
level that you're at if the task is too
easy then you'll get bored if the task
is too challenging then you'll get
frustrated and give up so the key is to
push yourself only a little bit beyond
your comfort zone how much beyond the
comfort zone four percent challenge
Yourself four percent more than usual
every time you study in the simplest way
practically this means understanding
reading and making questions on more
pages of the chapter in the same amount
of time if your usual speed of revising
and understanding is around 10 pages an
hour then aim for 10.4 pages in that
same hour whilst maintaining the same
quality of learning throughout that's it
10.4 Pages just half a page more that's
a good challenge isn't it it's enough to
keep you on track but it isn't big
enough that makes you want to give up
and then when you get 10.4 Pages
comfortably in that hour then you move
it up four percent more the trick is to
keep challenging yourself bit by bit but
do it just enough so that you don't get
bored and that you don't feel
overwhelmed I like the quote grow
comfortable with being a little
uncomfortable and the side note is is
that four percent sounds pretty small
but after a few times of getting it
because of compound for interest it will
actually become harder and harder to do
if you aren't in your Flow State so from
my experience getting into that flow
state is extremely necessary for you to
even accomplish that four percent more
after a certain number of times that
you've done it capitalize on passion
screw the one percent improvements and
this is where my experience comes in the
trigger to me passion is the fastest way
to become laser focused get into flow
States and learn skills and things 30
times 300 times 3 000 times faster than
you always do there's this rule I've
been hearing my whole life if you get
one percent better every single day by
the end of the year you'll be 37 times
as good as the thing and even though in
logic it makes sense I've always hated
this rule it's the most intimidating
annoying concept because it means that
in order to get good at something I have
to keep on doing the thing again and
again and again without being bored
without losing interest for the thing
and that to me is always just so
impossible if I'm trying to get good at
something then chances are 7 out of 10
times of me doing that thing I will
either not do it to the full degree I'll
procrastinate too much and three times
that I actually do the thing if I only
get one percent better that's nothing
it's barely any progress so I say screw
one percent baby improvements learn to
block out distractions hack the focus as
we've discussed throughout the guide and
aim for extremely high levels of
improvements in short time and do this
by capitalizing on the times that you
have passion for the thing that you want
to do and just go along with it the
times that I've actually gotten good at
something like editing videos studying
smart coding websites writing articles
all if it didn't just happen with oh one
percent improvements when I mastered
those skills or did really well with an
exam I worked on them relentlessly and
try to improve myself each time I did
them thirty percent three hundred
percent three thousand percent when I
learned to edit I didn't just think okay
let me schedule 30 minutes of editing
four times a week for the next four
months no if I did that I would get
bored and give up in two weeks instead I
looked around it and the day I felt like
getting my together the day I felt
excited and passionate about YouTube I
capitalized on it I made a video in one
day and edited edited that video for 30
hours straight in the next three days
literally learning everything that I
need to know about editing I spent 13
hours that first day learning how to
edit and actually applying it and the
thing is that first video is still the
highest viewed video on this channel the
same thing applies to scoring highly in
exams whenever I've done well I've
revised effectively like a maniac the
weeks beforehand and yes you do need
repetition throughout the year but my
aim is always to make the revision so
effective and then encode the concept so
well so that I need less repetitions
when I'm studying really because I know
that if I schedule six revisions in for
the next few months I know I'm not going
to do half of those so so capitalize on
passion and use it as that trigger to
easily get you into the flow state do
all the things in a time where your mind
can easily disregard the distractions
and is interested in what you're
learning the bonus step four recover
with Focus now that we've understood so
much about how to focus a very important
step in sustaining this focus and to
keep getting back into this Focus even
in the same day is the recovery phase if
you remember it was the last stage of
the flow cycle and honestly I always
sucked at doing this because when you're
in flow super focused on the work you
feel Unstoppable and then poof it's gone
you just lose energy lose track of the
work and it's annoying because you were
doing so well and now it's just gone you
can't get back into it but that's just
the natural cycle of flow it doesn't
last forever according to the science it
completely drops after four hours if you
keep pushing yourself like that till the
end there's a big calm down where no
good ideas can happen and after that
huge energy expenditure we cannot risk
not giving the recovery phase time and I
think I need to get better at this as
well because you need to treat this
seriously we can't just be going on our
phones randomly because from County
board's book deep work we know that it's
not the act of using the phone that's
gonna decrease the strength of the focus
muscle it's the constant switching from
low stimuli high value tasks like
reading a book to high stimuli low value
tasks like strolling on Tick Tock that's
what damages the focus muscles so the
Practical action is that when I still
have to focus get back into the work
after half an hour an hour break I spend
that time spending time with family
friends reading Namaz um go on a walk do
these sorts of things but at all costs I
try and avoid my phone and social
because first you won't be able to
consolidate as well what you've learned
in the previous row cycle and you did so
much because you were learning so
quickly so why waste that and second you
won't be able to get back into the flow
cycle if you don't dislodge your
attention completely and treat active
recovery seriously there's other things
to do with active recovery as well like
cold showers sleep exercise all of it
helps but I usually do that at the end
of the day when I'm done with everything
if you've watched the video so far thank
you I know a guide like this doesn't
solve every problem that you have
because most of them are personal to you
so I want to give you my email and my
Instagram send me a message or email
with any specific Niche issue that you
have that's blocking your focus we can
even set up a zoom call where we talk
about it and I help you create a
calendar because I literally did this
only a few months ago and I'm saying
this because in the past I have mentored
two to three people from this YouTube
channel I'm giving them my personal
numbers we've talked in detail about how
to improve their studying their focus
I'm still in touch with a lot of them
and it's because I know that guides and
these videos don't 100 help someone
unless they proactively apply in their
life and sometimes people just need help
with that so I'm more than happy to give
personalized help all free of course
whatever you need but all you need to do
is message me first and take that first
step other than improving your focus the
Practical techniques that make your
studying more effective come from
learning to learn efficiently and that's
what I go through in this video right
here in this video I go through all the
ways that I've learned to become more
efficient and effective with my learning
in med school and all the ways that you
can as well I've got some really good
feedback about this video so I know that
it is practically very helpful anyways
thank you so much for watching I really
hope that this full guide was useful
please drop comments below tell me what
you think about this full guide whether
it was actually helpful what sort of
stuff you want to see from me in the
future it really helped and yeah leave a
like check my tech talk out if you
haven't yet and put out some big bangers
on there and I will see you in the next
one
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How to Stop Distractions & Increase Focus?
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