How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#1

Post by arem » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 7:03 AM UTC

I have a problem, I'm learning how to program (C/Python -- keep the URLs coming!) but, find that I cannot focus very much on documentation that I read on either topic; instead I'd rather watch television, or sneak glances at IRC; etcetera, how do you achieve complete mental focus? Having motivation is one thing, having a constant will to study, is another.

Thanks

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#2

Post by duh » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 7:35 AM UTC

If you can't focus on it, it must not really be that important.

Quit your job and make it your means of survival.

If you're a student, focus on your schoolwork instead. If this IS your schoolwork, consider switching fields.

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#3

Post by sambirch » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 7:43 AM UTC

Removing distractions is one technique. Kill your IM apps and work in a quiet area. You'll still feel like checking those distractions out for a while, but once you get into the groove you can work smoothly with little effort.

The other thing is that once you done some work, and you're getting tired and finding it hard to concentrate, take a break. You tend to work more productively when you're fresh than when you're weary.

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#4

Post by sambirch » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 7:44 AM UTC

duh wrote: post #2

If you can't focus on it, it must not really be that important. Quit your job and make it your means of survival. If you're a student, focus on your schoolwork instead. If this IS your schoolwork, consider switching fields.

Being unable to focus can simply be a side-effect of being distracted, tired, or trying to learn something that really pushes your brain.

The fact that you have a hard time doing something does not mean you should give up on it.

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#5

Post by owyn » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 8:01 AM UTC

I was a CS major but I didn't _really_ learn how to write code until I got a job at a dot com startup in the mid 90's. I think school seemed too easy, and I didn't work that hard to get decent grades, although now I regret not taking advantage of the time I had. If an assignment is due friday, who cares. If it's due RIGHT FREAKING NOW, because your company is ON FIRE then you work hard. I mostly played MUD's at school. I worked my ass off once I got a job. Turn off the distractions and light a fire. I guess the fear of failure is what motivated me. Maybe try and do something risky and difficult.

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#6

Post by staunch » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 8:16 AM UTC

Continually remind yourself of how great it will be to be able to do X after you've done Y.

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#7

Post by zpoley » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 8:16 AM UTC

It sounds like you might want to try to better define for yourself why you're trying to learn what you're studying. Without good reason to focus on what you're trying to achieve through your studying there's probably very little feeling of reward for doing it. Maybe developing reasonable goals for what you would like to do with C/Python will help you focus on gaining the knowledge you need to accomplish your goals.

If the documentation you're reading isn't satisfying, maybe try finding projects online related to what you hope to accomplish, and start there. Try reading their documentation and code, and then read C/Python documentation to figure out what the code is doing when you don't understand.

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#8

Post by aaronblohowiak » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 8:23 AM UTC

owyn wrote: post #5

I was a CS major but I didn't _really_ learn how to write code until I got a job at a dot com startup in the mid 90's. I think school seemed too easy, and I didn't work that hard to get decent grades, although now I regret not taking advantage of the time I had. If an assignment is due friday, who cares. If it's due RIGHT FREAKING NOW, because your company is ON FIRE then you work hard. I mostly played MUD's at schoo…

Tying task at hand to goal, consistently, a sense of urgency and a social component are all key factors in maintaining focus.

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#9

Post by rms » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 8:53 AM UTC

It's quite likely you meet diagnostic criteria for ADD. Talk to a mental health professional. It's one thing to get distracted occasionally but it's a problem if your distraction is more pathological.

Re: How to acquire and develop mental Focus

#10

Post by bcl » Sun, Nov 15, 2009, 8:57 AM UTC

sambirch wrote: post #3

Removing distractions is one technique. Kill your IM apps and work in a quiet area. You'll still feel like checking those distractions out for a while, but once you get into the groove you can work smoothly with little effort. The other thing is that once you done some work, and you're getting tired and finding it hard to concentrate, take a break. You tend to work more productively when you're fresh than when you're…

I find that music helps keep me focused on the task at hand. I've got different playlists setup for my different developing moods. ie. learning, coding, designing, administrative, etc.

That along with actuall closing the IM, Email and IRC clients can go a long way towards helping you focus.

I also find that when learning something completely new it helps alot to have a small project to apply the new knowledge to. Even if it is something silly, it helps cement the new concepts in your long term memory.