# Fast Focus  ## Metadata - Author: [[Damon Zahariades]] - Full Title: Fast Focus - Category: #books ## Highlights - inadequate focus. ([Location 156](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=156)) - Few people are born with the ability to focus. ([Location 167](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=167)) - failure has great value. In fact, it’s the best teacher in the world. ([Location 176](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=176)) - our ability to focus is limited. ([Location 180](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=180)) - managing our focus is just as important as developing it in the first place. ([Location 181](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=181)) - Part I will define what true focus means (the definition might surprise you) and explain why it’s difficult to maintain. ([Location 206](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=206)) - Part II will reveal the most important environmental factors you need to address, and show you how to adjust them to suit your needs. ([Location 212](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=212)) - You’ll learn 23 ways to fight distractions, master your attention, and get things done. ([Location 215](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=215)) - Inaction is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face on the road toward developing razor-sharp focus. ([Location 235](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=235)) - Keep a journal detailing how they affect your ability to focus. ([Location 248](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=248)) - you must come up with a unique system that accommodates your needs, your strengths and weaknesses, and your desired lifestyle. ([Location 252](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=252)) - voluntary versus involuntary attention. ([Location 277](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=277)) - Voluntary attention is what you use to consciously focus on something. ([Location 278](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=278)) - Involuntary attention is the opposite of voluntary attention. You have no control over it. ([Location 284](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=284)) - you dampen the influence of involuntary attention by exercising more control over voluntary attention. ([Location 298](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=298)) - both broad ([Location 314](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=314)) - Low energy is the attention-dampening factor that people most often overlook. ([Location 341](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=341)) - You must control your time if you hope to develop razor-sharp focus. ([Location 347](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=347)) - Mind wandering allows your brain to be creative. ([Location 350](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=350)) - honing in on whatever you’re working on and staying focused during the time you’ve allotted to it. ([Location 363](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=363)) - Restlessness is defined as a general feeling of anxiety. ([Location 371](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=371)) - A little stress is good for us. ([Location 375](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=375)) - many people (perhaps you?) suffer from chronic stress. They’re in a constant state of anxiety. ([Location 375](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=375)) - Note: Or, distress. - Take a look at your workspace. ([Location 395](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=395)) - Working in a flow state leads to higher productivity. ([Location 445](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=445)) - Experts claim that intelligence is a poor barometer of success. ([Location 456](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=456)) - Grit demands sharp focus. ([Location 458](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=458)) - the greatest impact on your retention of new information comes via your ability to focus. ([Location 469](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=469)) - between 30 and 44, it signals that staying focused is a persistent challenge for you. ([Location 506](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=506)) - A supportive environment can help you to more easily avoid distractions, focus on your work, and even enter a flow state. The wrong environment can make it nearly impossible to manage your attention for more than a few fleeting moments. ([Location 521](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=521)) - Keep Hofstadter's law in mind: things always take longer than we think. ([Location 861](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=861)) - Avoid setting deadlines that are too lenient. ([Location 862](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=862)) - Limit The Number Of Daily Tasks To Five ([Location 878](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=878)) - limit the number of items on your daily to-do list to five. ([Location 885](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=885)) - We do things with purpose. ([Location 906](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=906)) - When we lack a specific purpose, we become more susceptible to distractions. ([Location 906](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=906)) - know your “why.” ([Location 924](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=924)) - Capture Ideas Quickly ([Location 964](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=964)) - “open loops.” ([Location 981](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=981)) - Triggers That Lead You To Distraction ([Location 993](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=993)) - check email twice per day. ([Location 1020](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1020)) - Identify your personal triggers for distraction ([Location 1022](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1022)) - unfinished tasks draw our attention more than finished tasks. ([Location 1033](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1033)) - The former are open loops. ([Location 1033](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1033)) - Play Music That Helps You To Enter A Flow State ([Location 1060](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1060)) - listen to instrumental music. ([Location 1080](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1080)) - Take Frequent Breaks ([Location 1112](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1112)) - Work in time chunks. ([Location 1127](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1127)) - Monitor your attention level. ([Location 1129](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1129)) - Schedule power naps. ([Location 1131](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1131)) - “Socialize” your breaks. ([Location 1134](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1134)) - “Gamify” your breaks. ([Location 1136](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1136)) - Take Short Walks ([Location 1149](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1149)) - Commit To Single-Tasking ([Location 1184](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1184)) - multitasking: it doesn’t work. ([Location 1190](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1190)) - Task switching imposes severe attentional costs. ([Location 1195](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01N9NG27E&location=1195))