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Escaping from distraction is critical—and increasingly difficult in our hyper-connected world. In a recent post for Thrive Global , Farnam Street blogger Shane Parris warns that focus is in danger of becoming a “lost art.” And it’s one we can ill afford to lose:
“Moving the needle on hard things happens by stringing together sessions of deep, focused effort. Hours at a time, over and over. The intense kind where you sort of lose yourself and wake up later with a lot of awesome work done.”
Carving out the time is one challenge. But for many people, the bigger one is resisting distractions and devoting purposeful mental energy to one thing at a time. For me, a change of setting can make a huge difference in achieving that mindset. Here are three places I go to focus:
1. My yoga mat
I’ve been practicing yoga for 12 years. In addition to its physical benefits, it’s the best way I know to cultivate focus. The foundation of yoga is the act of mindfulness: limiting your awareness to your body and breath. No checking email or social media. No daydreaming about the weekend or mentally composing a to-do list. Movement follows the breath. Some think that the discipline in yoga is about holding the body in challenging or uncomfortable poses. The truth is that the discipline is about quieting your mind and improving your focus.
2. The mountains
Nature is a powerful and humbling teacher. I’ve written before about the importance of spending time outdoors to recharge the mind and spirit. When I get up into the mountains, whether it’s with my skis or my hiking and climbing gear, my perspective shifts away from the minutiae of day-to-day life and work. From a high peak, you can’t see all the details below. That clarity, coupled with the beauty of the natural world, inspires me to reexamine my priorities and shift my focus to the things that really matter—in business and in life.
3. An airplane
I get it—not everyone loves being on a plane. And yes, most of them have wi-fi now. But maybe because I remember a time when flying meant no access to anything except the book or notepad or magazine that you carried on with you, I still see a long flight as an opportunity for uninterrupted thinking. Get a good pair of noise-canceling headphones and settle in after takeoff. Regardless of where you’re going or what you’re doing when you land, your time in transit can be a gift if you know how to use it.