The ability to focus one’s attention is one of our most important life tools because it determines where and how far along we go in our lives. It also applies to the success of everything that we do in life, from work to relationships to everyday decisions.
Leadership coach, Kitty Chisholm, believes that ‘attention’ is the most important factor in making any effective self-change. She defines it as, “the mechanism through which the brain focuses its resources onto something.” In other words, where you focus your attention, determines what your brain focuses on. Therefore, the ability to ‘focus one’s attention’ is one of our most important life skills, especially when we want to develop a new skill or change a bad habit.
In a very interesting Ted Talk below, Chisholm explains the importance of combining attention with practice and passion, which is the emotional trigger that motivates and moves one forward.
Research neuroscientist, Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar, believes that ‘attention’ does not just apply to what the brain focuses on… but it also pertains to what the brain filters out. As a computational neuroscientist, his intention is to build a computer model that treats people with ADHD or any memory issues. To do this, he has been studying brain-wave patterns and focusing on various brain functions, such as memory, learning and visual attention.
Click HERE to listen to Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar’s Ted Talk.
Again, the ability to focus one’s attention has relevance in every aspect of our lives, and so, it is important to learn how to improve this skill. We have pulled together a few resources for exercises to try: