Imagine you could click your fingers…

And instantly enjoy LASER FOCUS!

You could beam your attention directly onto any subject… any project… any book or course… without ANY distraction.

And then hold it there for as long as you need to get the job done.

Then you could stop the laser beam whenever you chose …

And wander off to do something you enjoy, like gardening, taking a walk, or sitting doing nothing.

How good would that be?

It’s not a power that comes naturally to 21st Century humans in a world of tech and digital distraction.

Because most people have one of TWO opposing problems…

A minority have ‘hyperfocus’, where they obsessively latch onto something and go deep into it.

But they can’t control this fixation, and find it hard to stop…

It gets to the point where hyper-focussed people fail to complete other urgent tasks – or even essential things like eating, drinking water, moving from their chair or replying to their increasingly irritated partners.

So it’s less of a super power, and more of a hindrance most of the time.

For others, the opposite happens…

They find it hard to guide their concentration to where they want it to go…. and cannot hold it there for very long… falling prey to distractions and interruptions…

So they flit from task to task… sometimes doing multiple things at once… leaving things unfinished, or rushed… and feeling utterly overwhelmed and exhausted by it all.

Do either of these types match you?

If so, I don’t blame you if you feel a bit stuck.

After all, it’s just how your brain is wired.

Surely, you can’t change that?!

Well, what if I told you that you COULD?

And in as little as 30 days!

A Scientific Way to Boost Your Attention

The part of your brain that’s critical for attention control is known as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).

It decides what’s most worthy of your focus and attention… then filters out everything else.

Scientists have shown that this bit of your brain can be strengthened through a bit of conscious practice.

In a snappily titled 2013 study called ‘Neural Correlates of Mindfulness Meditation-Related Anxiety Relief’ participants did brief mindfulness meditation every day.

The researchers reported greater anterior cingulate cortex activity during those meditations.

Last year a study was published in eNeuro. Participants used brain training apps for 10–15 minutes per day for 30 days while eye-tracking tools measured their attention levels.

Scientists found that 30 days of brain training was linked to better attention control… and a 25% increase in concentration.

These benefits applied to young, middle-aged AND older adults.

The study’s authors believe that exercises aimed at improving attention and processing speed help preserve acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for focus and memory.

It works like a switch that makes the brain instantly more awake, focused and attentive.

So these two studies should give you some encouragement…

They show that even if you struggle with concentration, you can do something to improve it.

But… (and there’s always a but)… you need to be up for putting some work into it.

A 30 Day Plan for Better Focus

Here’s how it can be done in 3 daily steps…

Step 1 – the 10-minute daily meditation

This is the most important task, and possibly the hardest for most people.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to sit cross-legged, empty your mind or begin chanting.

The point is to practise holding your attention on one thing.

Sit comfortably.

Set a timer for five minutes.

Close your eyes and put all your attention on your breath.

Feel the air going in through your nose, and back out again.

Just try to keep your focus on that.

Whenever your attention drifts, gently bring it back.

Each time you do this, it’s like doing a bicep curl – but for your anterior cingulate cortex!

Carry out these focus-medications for five minutes every day for the first week…

Then nudge it up to 10 minutes in week two… 15 minutes in week three… and 20 minutes in week four.

Step 2: Practice focus at work

This is where you train yourself to adopt new habits.

Each day that you need to work – either for your job, your business or a hobby – pick one important task and concentrate on it without any distractions.

Get rid of your phone, then set a timer for 25 minutes.

This is known as the Pomodoro Technique and it works because your brain holds focus far longer when it knows a rest is coming.

Do four of these 25 minute sessions in a morning or afternoon and you should notice much stronger attention levels and better results.

You could also do this with a challenging book… practising with a musical instrument… or learning a language.

Step 3: Use a brain training app

There are apps that give you a tailored daily workout in around ten to fifteen minutes a day.

• BrainHQ was built by neuroscientists and has been used in many published studies, like the one I mentioned earlier in this email.
• Lumosity has 40-plus games covering memory, attention and speed.
• Elevate offers games designed to strengthen reading, writing, speaking, memory and maths.
• Peak has daily adaptive workouts that get more challenging as you improve.

Most brain training apps have a free version to test the water. Then you can expect to pay around £75 a year for BrainHQ, £40–£65 for Lumosity, £39–£40 for Elevate and £26 for Peak.

Monthly subscriptions are available, although they generally work out more expensive over a full year.

Pick one and try to use it every day for the 30 day period!

Optional Extras

If you carry out all three of the above steps this month, you should notice tangible improvements in your powers of focus and concentration.

But there’s more you can do…

For instance you can try an online game called Dual N-Back, which is recommended by scientists as a way to strengthen your working memory.

You’ll see a screen like this.

Every 3 seconds, one of eight squares lights up on the grid (that’s the visual stream).

At the same time, a letter is spoken aloud (that’s the audio stream).

Your job is to remember what happened N steps ago and spot when the current thing matches it.

So if you’re on N=1, that means you need to remember what happened one step ago… but with N=2 it’s two steps ago.

So it might be that a flashing square is repeated (in which case you tap the eye icon to the bottom left).

Or if might be that a spoken letter is repeated (in which case you click on the audio symbol to the bottom right).

The two visual/audio streams are completely independent.

So on any given step, both might match, just one, or neither.

You’re tracking two rolling sequences at the same time, which is why your brain will feel so befuddled.

I struggled to get the hang of it…. but then cracked it on the fourth go!

However when it went up to N=2, I struggled again!

That’s the point, of course…

It’s aiming to challenge you each step of the way so that you continually improve.

But if you’re sick of staring at a screen, or don’t like smartphone apps, then there are other more old school ways of training your brain.

Chess, draughts and Sudoku all force you to practise sustained concentration and forward planning.

Even Jigsaw puzzles can help hone your powers of visual attention.

Whatever you choose…

Put Aside Your Doubts and Try It

Look, I understand if you feel sceptical that you can radically improve your focus.

We’re told “you cannot teach an old dog new tricks” but it’s not true.

Whatever age you are… however easily distracted you get… there are proven ways to train your attention!

All you need is a bit of willpower to try out some exercises and see for yourself.