“what we choose to focus on and what we choose to ignore—plays in defining the quality of our life.”
Cal Newport
Before the pandemic, I used to be the student who lived in the library. That is how I entered a study environment and started my work. However, once the pandemic hit, the libraries closed and school became online. At first, it was nearly impossible for me to study for even 10 minutes without experiencing a distraction. Now, 2 to 3 years later, I learned how to overcome my distractions and I can focus for up to 3 to 4 hours without taking a single break.
- 5 Minute Rule
Often the hardest part of studying is getting started. For me personally, if the work I have to do is overwhelming then it can cause fear and anxiety which leads to procrastination. The 5 minute rules helps target this aspect of procrastination and it essentially shows you that the work is not scary as you think it is.
The way it works is that you make a goal to focus for only 5 minutes and after those 5 minutes are up, you are allowed to stop. This doesn’t sound like much, but this allows you to gain momentum and by the time your 5 minutes are up, the work I’m doing no longer feels scary and I don’t want to stop since I just started.
I may not know if I can actually complete the work I have for the day, but I do know that I can work for 5 minutes and then keep going from there.
- Distraction Journal
While studying, sometimes random thoughts appear in my mind to prevent from me studying. For example, one time I was studying and I looked at my trashcan and saw that it was full. It gave me a sudden urge to stop what I’m doing and take out the trash. I don’t want to ignore it because I might forget later on and it’s a super quick task so what’s the harm? I took out the trash, went back to my room, and then I no longer felt like doing work. I lost my studying momentum.
Now, I use a distraction journal for situations like these. If I have a sudden urge to do something, I just write it down in my journal and then go back to work. It sounds super simple but writing those things down helps you avoid thinking them which allows you to focus on the task at hand.
- Web Blocker
For sites such as YouTube and Instagram, they are deliberately designed for maximum distraction. So it’s no surprise whenever I go on YouTube and find myself spending hours of my day watching random YouTube videos. Even if I try to stay away using sheer willpower, I often find myself coming back to those sites again and again.
By using web blockers, it doesn’t matter how much willpower I have. It’s impossible for me to be distracted by sites that I do not have access to. If something is blocked, the urge for me to access those sites also disappears. Now I can preserve my willpower for something more meaningful.