Every day, you’re fighting a battle. The enemy? Your own mind. Distractions, doubts, and impulses pull you in every direction.
You want to focus, but you keep getting sucked into nonsense. You know what you need to do, but you don’t do it.
A reader asked me:
“It is becoming difficult to maintain focus, concentration and discipline in terms of learning and studying for exams and for gaining knowledge in general.”
I agree. It’s getting harder to focus.
The reader also said that, “Certain advice such as “setting clear goals” and “breaking your work down in manageable chunks” have become cliche for students of my age, and they are not really helpful anymore.”
I agree once again. Self-improvement tips have been commoditized. Everyone is giving advice these days.
Let me give you my perspective on this topic. This is coming from personal experience.
1. Accept that focusing is hard
Most people think focus is about motivation. It’s not. It’s about endurance.
Focus isn’t easy because your mind will always seek comfort. But comfort is the enemy of results.
You have to be honest. Do you want to succeed at what you do?
Pay the price! And the price is hardship.
You have to embrace the pain of sitting with a tough problem, reading a difficult book, or studying when you don’t feel like it.
The first time I taught myself this process was while pursuing my graduate degree in Business Administration. When I had advanced math and econometrics for the first time, I just didn’t get it.
It was like looking at symbols to me. But I trained myself to sit with my books, make notes, think, and think again until I finally understood something. And I just kept going for hours on end.
Why? Simply because I wanted to finish what I started. Sometimes that’s the only motivation you need.
If you want to accomplish something, you should just keep going until you get some results. And never complain that it’s hard.
2. Throw away your phone when you focus
Seriously. Your phone is ruining your ability to think. Every time you check it, you’re training yourself to be distracted. You’re making it harder to concentrate for long periods.
The Stoic philosopher Seneca warned about wasting time:
“While we are postponing, life speeds by.”
If you’re always scrolling, you’re losing time you’ll never get back. Technology is designed to pull you in. If you let it, it will control you.
When you sit down to work, put the phone in another room. Be ruthless about it. If you need to, use apps that block distractions or turn on airplane mode.
3. Focus on the next step, not the big picture
Look, I think everyone needs to have a bigger goal in life. Because that’s what keeps you going. For me, it was always financial independence. Now, it’s about teaching and writing.
But when you’re overwhelmed, the big goal can make you freeze. Instead, focus on your next step.
Epictetus, another Stoic, put it best:
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
Want to get better grades? Just start by reading one page. Want to write an essay? Just write one sentence.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Take action now. Overthinking is a killer of focus. By shifting your focus to the smallest next step, you gain momentum, and momentum is everything.
4. Train your discipline like a muscle
Discipline is not something you have or don’t have—it’s something you build. Just like physical strength, mental strength grows through repetition and resistance.
- Challenge yourself daily with small, difficult tasks.
- Push through discomfort instead of avoiding it.
- Set clear boundaries for work and rest.
- Develop morning and evening routines that keep you grounded.
- Reward yourself after periods of deep focus to reinforce good habits.
Aristotle said, “Through discipline comes freedom.” The more you train yourself to do what must be done, the more control you’ll have over your focus and actions.
If you consistently strengthen your ability to sit down and do the work, you will eventually become unstoppable.
5. Control your environment
This is the most important thing.
If you’re reading this and you want to only pick one of the things I’ve shared so far, pick this. Because it has a huge impact.
Here’s why: You are a product of your environment.
This is something I focus on the most because I know it matters most. If I’m surrounded by low-energy people who complain, I just don’t feel like doing anything. I become melancholic.
I’ve talked about this with my family and wife a lot. We need to make sure that we stay in a good mood, no matter how hard life is.
Because if you surround yourself with distractions, negativity, and bad habits, and people that drag you down, you will struggle to focus and stay disciplined.
- Clean up your workspace so it’s free from clutter.
- Spend time with people who are ambitious and always doing things.
- Listen to music that helps you concentrate or work in silence.
- Keep books, notebooks, and other study materials within easy reach.
Your surroundings either support your focus or destroy it. Choose wisely.
And take it seriously.
Focusing is getting harder every year
I can tell you from personal experience, it’s getting harder and harder to focus as time goes by. And that’s because of more…
- Opportunities
- Distractions
- Uncertainty
- Pressure
The world is designed to pull your attention in a million directions. That means you have to get stronger if you want to deal with it.
As one of the first motivational speakers, Jim Rohn, said:
“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.”
The world isn’t going to slow down for you. You have to become stronger and more focused if you want to win.
So keep getting better!
