How to 16x Your Focus Permanently in 5 Mins (from a Med Student)
Summary
TLDRThis video introduces the Venn Method, a four-part strategy to enhance focus and study efficiency. It suggests setting clear, specific goals to initiate focus, using progressive overload to extend focus duration, and actively engaging with the material to maintain deep focus. The script also addresses common distractions and proposes a refocus meditation technique to regain focus quickly. The method aims to help viewers, including those with ADHD, to study more effectively and efficiently.
Takeaways
- 📚 The Venn Method is a four-part strategy designed to maximize focus and study efficiency.
- 🎯 Having a clear and specific goal for studying can help overcome the initial barrier to focus, similar to how we focus on our phones for entertainment.
- 🧘 Progressive Overload for Focus involves gradually increasing the duration of focus to build mental strength, similar to increasing weights in physical training.
- ⏱ Setting a timer and challenging oneself to extend the focus time can help improve the ability to concentrate for longer periods.
- 📈 Measuring tasks instead of time can provide a personalized approach to focus longer and more effectively.
- 🚫 Contrary to the common advice, the speaker suggests not getting rid of distractions but instead taking control over them to improve focus.
- 🤓 Actively engaging with the study material by summarizing what is learned can enhance focus and retention.
- 🕒 Applying Parkinson’s Law by setting time constraints for tasks can increase the pressure to focus and complete work efficiently.
- 🧘♂️ Refocus meditation, focusing on breathing and a point in the forehead, can train the brain to return to a state of focus and maintain momentum.
- 🧠 The practice of refocusing can make the brain hyperaware of when it loses focus, helping to regain it quickly during study sessions.
- 💎 The speaker mentions the Diamond study system as an effective method for remembering everything learned with minimal study time, which is discussed in another video.
Q & A
What is the Venn Method mentioned in the video?
-The Venn Method is a four-part strategy the speaker uses to maximize focus and study efficiently, which also helps to manage time for other important activities.
Why do people find it easier to focus on their phones or TV compared to studying?
-The speaker suggests that it's because there's a predetermined goal when using a phone or watching TV, which is to be entertained and unwind, whereas studying often lacks such clear objectives.
How does setting a clear goal for studying help with focus?
-Setting a clear goal provides the brain with a target to work towards, which can trigger a dopamine release when achieved, similar to the satisfaction gained from scrolling on a phone, and reduces confusion on what to do.
What is the concept of Progressive Overload for Focus?
-Progressive Overload for Focus is the idea of gradually increasing the duration of focused study sessions to build mental strength, similar to increasing weights in physical training.
How does the speaker suggest managing distractions while studying?
-Instead of eliminating distractions, the speaker proposes proving to oneself that focus is possible even with distractions present, thereby taking control over them rather than being controlled by them.
What is the purpose of actively engaging with the study material?
-Actively engaging with the material helps to absorb information more effectively by regularly summarizing what is being learned, which also serves as a test of comprehension.
What is Parkinson's Law and how does it apply to studying?
-Parkinson's Law states that 'work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.' Applying this to studying means setting a strict time limit to complete a task, which can improve focus and efficiency.
What is the role of refocus meditation in maintaining study momentum?
-Refocus meditation trains the brain to return to a state of focus by practicing bringing attention back to breathing and a point on the forehead, which can help regain focus quickly when it wanders during study sessions.
How long should one practice refocus meditation according to the video?
-The speaker suggests practicing refocus meditation for 13 minutes to train the brain to maintain focus.
What is the Diamond study system mentioned at the end of the video?
-The Diamond study system is a method the speaker uses to remember everything learned at med school with only 2 hours of studying a day, though the specifics of the system are not detailed in the provided transcript.
How does the speaker measure the effectiveness of their focus time?
-The speaker measures focus time by setting a timer and stopping it when they lose focus, using this as a baseline to beat in subsequent study sessions by increasing the duration.
Outlines
📚 Mastering Focus with the Venn Method
The video script introduces a four-part strategy known as the Venn Method, designed to enhance focus and study efficiency. It addresses the common issue of being unable to concentrate on studies despite being easily engrossed in activities like using a phone or watching TV. The script suggests that the problem is not an inability to focus, but rather a lack of clear, predetermined goals for studying. It emphasizes the importance of setting specific and frequent study goals to trigger the brain's reward system and maintain focus. The method also involves applying 'Progressive Overload for Focus' to gradually increase focus duration and eventually measure focus by task completion rather than time. The speaker mentions that distractions are not the enemy, and that proving one's ability to focus amidst distractions can lead to better control over them. Lastly, the script hints at the importance of deep focus for efficiency and the use of active engagement and time constraints to achieve it.
🧘♂️ Boosting Study Efficiency with Refocus Meditation
The second paragraph delves into maintaining focus and the challenges of regaining momentum after a brief loss of concentration. It introduces 'refocus meditation' as a technique to train the brain to return to a focused state. The meditation involves sitting for 13 minutes, concentrating on breathing and a point just above the eyes, and redirecting attention whenever the mind wanders. This practice is said to strengthen the brain's ability to refocus, making it more aware of when it loses concentration. The script asserts that this method is beneficial for everyone, including those with ADHD, and encourages viewers to try it out due to its potential to enhance focus for extended study sessions. Additionally, the paragraph mentions the 'Diamond study system' which the speaker uses to remember everything learned in medical school with only two hours of daily study, and invites viewers to learn more about this system in a separate video.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Focus
💡Venn Method
💡Predetermined Goal
💡Dopamine
💡Progressive Overload
💡Distractions
💡Actively Engage
💡Parkinson's Law
💡Refocus Meditation
💡Momentum
💡Diamond Study System
Highlights
A four-part strategy called the Venn Method is introduced to maximize focus and study efficiently.
The Venn Method has been beneficial for individuals with ADHD, suggesting its broad applicability.
The common issue of difficulty focusing on study compared to entertainment is addressed.
The importance of having a predetermined goal for studying to overcome the initial barrier to focus is emphasized.
Clear goals provide the brain with a target to work towards, enhancing focus and the desire to continue.
Setting specific and frequent goals during study sessions is recommended for maintaining focus.
Progressive Overload for Focus is introduced as a method to increase focus duration over time.
A timer is used to measure and improve baseline focus time with incremental increases.
The concept of measuring tasks instead of time for focus is presented for a personalized approach.
The idea of not getting rid of distractions but rather taking control over them is discussed.
Deep focus is distinguished from merely maintaining focus, with an emphasis on efficiency.
Actively engaging with the material by summarizing and self-testing is suggested for better absorption.
Parkinson’s Law is applied to create time constraints for tasks to enhance focus and productivity.
Refocus meditation is introduced as a technique to regain focus and maintain momentum.
A 13-minute meditation focusing on breathing and a point on the forehead is recommended for training the brain to refocus.
The Diamond study system is mentioned as an efficient method for remembering information with limited study time.
Transcripts
If you clicked on this video because the typical advice to study at the library or
remove distractions to magically make you focus didn’t work, then you’re in the right place
because throughout my undergrad and master’s degree, and now at med school,
I made a reliable way to focus, using a four part strategy called the Venn
Method - and it helps me maximise focus and study efficiently, so that I have enough time
left in the day for the things i care about - and it’s going to do the same for you.
And i had comments from some of you with ADHD,
so stick around for the bonus point that’s been shown to help anyone focus
So let’s start with the problem we all have - why is it that when you’re on the
phone or watching tv, you can focus straight away without much effort?
But when you have to study, you can’t get yourself to focus and you keep getting distracted
What it shows to me is that, we don’t have a problem with focusing,
since we can do that on our phone - and i realised, that’s because there’s a
predetermined goal - which is using your phone to be entertained and to unwind
So to get over that initial barrier to focus for studying,
you need to improve your clarity by having a predetermined goal for studying as well
because by having a clear goal, your brain has something to work
towards - and when you achieve that goal, you get a hit of dopamine
that makes you want to keep on going, like how keep scrolling on your phone
And a goal makes your brain less confused on what to do,
because it’s aware of that target you set for it to work towards
So make very specific and frequent goals when you study - like right now, i set specific goals like
doing 20 questions on psychiatry, and write notes on the conditions i saw at hospital on the day
And for you at school or uni those targets could be to go through 20
pages of your textbook or lecture notes, or write up the introduction of your essay
Ok so now you know how to get that initial focus,
but how do you maintain it for more than just 10 minutes? Normally,
people say to get rid of distractions, but I’d do the opposite, and i’ll get to why after
because first, the best way to focus for hours is to apply Progressive Overload for Focus
Similar to how I’d increase the weights i lift over time to get physically stronger, for focus,
I’d increase how long i focus for to get mentally stronger - and i do it in a specific way
First, I’d set a timer as soon as I start working - and when i find myself losing focus,
i stop the timer - and this becomes my baseline focus time
So after a short break, i try to beat that focus time by maybe another 10 or 20 minutes,
and that time keeps on increasing as i get better
And back when my focus time got high enough, I stepped up and started measuring tasks instead of
time as my baseline for focus - so in my earlier example of doing 20Qs and writing up notes,
initially I’d focus for 20Qs then take a short break, and then write up the
notes - but now I’d do the tasks one after the other, fully focused without breaks
So this baseline focus time’s good for getting a personalised way to focus longer,
because it gets you a bit out of your comfort zone which you need to get better
And i mentioned to not get rid of distractions - because the way i see it is,
you can literally get distracted by nothing - so if you can prove to yourself that you can
focus when obvious distractions are there, you take control over your distractions,
instead of believing that just your phone is enough to stop you
But focusing longer doesn’t mean much if you still take a lot of time to get through things - for
example, you might give yourself the whole day to get an essay done, and just because you got it
done at the end of the day, you think you focused quite well, even if it wasn’t actually efficient
so we wanna make sure that we have deep focus to make our study sessions as effective as possible
And the way to do this is to actively focus - and this has two parts
The first is to actively engage and avoid going through information without absorbing
it - and the simplest way to actively engage is to regularly summarise what you’re learning
Like my lectures are normally divided into sections - once i get to the end of one section
like a section on treatments for a condition, I’d briefly summarise it to show that I’ve been
actively focusing on what i’m learning, instead of passively going through it and not really engaging
So if you’re at school or uni, break down your content you’re learning into smaller chunks,
or just test yourself for a few minutes on what you’ve been learning over the
past 30 minutes or an hour to see how much you can remember
and the second part of this is to apply Parkinson’s Law - and that’s
making a time constraint for getting through a certain amount of work
Like before I’d think oh i’ll make sure to write my essay today,
but not set a specific time limit - so i’d end up losing focus throughout
the day and only regain it towards the end when i rush to meet that deadline
but when i started saying that I’ll give myself 3 hours to write an essay,
I give myself pressure knowing that if I don’t focus, i won’t finish in time and i
won’t meet my goal - and that gives a healthy bit of stress to improve focus and performance
Now this next part of the strategy’s been a reliable way to help anyone and
seemingly a lot of people with ADHD, regain focus
because i know there’s a lot of times where, i’d be focusing pretty well,
then for literally 2 seconds i lose focus and that could be enough to destroy any momentum
And what you can do to keep that momentum when this happens, is to practice refocus meditation
And look, whether meditation works for you or not, this is different - coz all this involves is,
sitting for just 13 minutes, focusing on your breathing and on a point just an inch
into your forehead - and whenever you find your thoughts moving away
from your breathing or that point on your head, then just realign your focus to them
because you might find that every 20 seconds, or even every 5 seconds, your brain moves away
from those two thoughts, but by bringing attention back to them, you train networks
in your brain to repeatedly return to a state of focus - so over time, your brain uses this
technique of refocusing when you study because it becomes hyperaware of when it loses focus
And there’s no excuse to not try it out just once,
coz 13 minutes to help you focus for hours sounds worth the try
So focusing properly’s a big part of getting work done - but the problem is, most people don’t study
in a way that helps them learn as much and as efficiently as possible - so in this video here,
I talk about the Diamond study system I use that helps me remember everything i learn at med school
with only 2 hours of studying a day - and you can learn how to do this by watching the video
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