Lack of concentration

[ellie]

I think the number one downfall with me is my lack of concentration. I think I could become quite successful if I would stick with things. I tend to flitter from one thing to another with everything. I get bored very easily. Yesterday I observed how quickly I got bored with some creative activity I was doing. I noticed that I just wanted to rush it, and was becoming impatient. My own creativity and me time should be something I enjoy and take time to enjoy, yet I don't.

I've been like this ever since I am child, probably on the verge of what one would call ADD. I remember as I child I could never sit still and I do the same now.

I'm hoping this is something I can improve over time, with will as I think this is my downfall from actually succeeding. I know I can be rather clever and creative when I put my mind to it, but it's keeping the momentum up. I think that's where I am going wrong, because I never follow through with things.

I guess why this is important to me now, is that I have a project that has been close to my heart for many years and I had decided that now was the time to work on it, if I was ever really going to do something that aligned with what I want...well this project was it. Yet of course after a few weeks my motivation for the project has dwindled. Some may say, "well it's not real passion then", but I don't think this is the case. I think it is my passion, but I am just to all over the place and also maybe fear that I can't do it, or it wont succeed.

I think diet for me is a big factor, as I noticed a huge improvement in my concentration when I went raw. So I think this is one of the things I will shift too again, but even raw I get bored with. Everything, and I mean everything I get sick of from conversation, jobs, food, reading etc

Has anyone been successful in improving their concentrations skills and focus?

[xander3]

I'm replying to bump this thread up because I seem to have the same problem as you - and would love an answer.

[Aleksander Krstic]

I myself have improved in all three areas your having problems: concentration, being bored and having unrelaxed nerves. To be more specific, I was so low on concentration many people have insulted me as an retard.

Here are some concentration exercises:
Concentration exercises

[FazK]

I have your exact same problem, it is very difficult to get through the day when 90% of the time your mind is a million miles away. Unfortunately i still haven't found a solution. A good book to check out would be the "power of concentration" by theron q. dumont. It is a book all abput learning to concentrate better and has some great exercises. It is out of print so you can download it for free just do a google search

[Craig Wanderer]

Interesting stuff...

I have had similar problems with concentration. This year, at age 36 I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, meaning that those things which fell into my "special subject areas" I was awesome at, but everything else, I struggled with. I have been training myself to deal with the concentration issue by mentally relating it in some way to my "special subject areas". You guys probably don't have Asperger's, but it may help if you are able to identify some things where your concentration almost never wanders and relate your tasks to those.

I also find that being relatively stress free also increases my concentration. Before my paradigm began shifting, I was stressed about just about everything - money, marriage, work, car, you name it. It was hard to write when I had so many worries nagging at me from the background. It just sapped my motivation and my creativity.

I found other ways to deal with the stress because I have never really been able to meditate due to an overactive "inner voice", but I have heard that light daily meditation does wonders for stress relief and thus for concentration.

Cheers,

Craig

[ProjectX]

Originally Posted by ellie

I think the number one downfall with me is my lack of concentration. I think I could become quite successful if I would stick with things. I tend to flitter from one thing to another with everything. I get bored very easily. Yesterday I observed how quickly I got bored with some creative activity I was doing. I noticed that I just wanted to rush it, and was becoming impatient. My own creativity and me time should be something I enjoy and take time to enjoy, yet I don't.

I've been like this ever since I am child, probably on the verge of what one would call ADD. I remember as I child I could never sit still and I do the same now.

I'm hoping this is something I can improve over time, with will as I think this is my downfall from actually succeeding. I know I can be rather clever and creative when I put my mind to it, but it's keeping the momentum up. I think that's where I am going wrong, because I never follow through with things.

I guess why this is important to me now, is that I have a project that has been close to my heart for many years and I had decided that now was the time to work on it, if I was ever really going to do something that aligned with what I want...well this project was it. Yet of course after a few weeks my motivation for the project has dwindled. Some may say, "well it's not real passion then", but I don't think this is the case. I think it is my passion, but I am just to all over the place and also maybe fear that I can't do it, or it wont succeed.

I think diet for me is a big factor, as I noticed a huge improvement in my concentration when I went raw. So I think this is one of the things I will shift too again, but even raw I get bored with. Everything, and I mean everything I get sick of from conversation, jobs, food, reading etc

Has anyone been successful in improving their concentrations skills and focus?

Ellie. I feel exactly like you. I have trouble focusing on one thing at a time almost borderline ADD. Its like in the back of my mind there is always "something else I need to do". I get bored easily and whenever I try to sit down and do some work I get jittery nerves; my body gets restless and needs to move around and my mind is always wandering about. Every few minutes I need to take a rest to regain my concentration and its very frustrating.
I would really like to resolve this deep personal problem, I have even thought about taking ADD mediation.

[ellie]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Well I took some of my own advice from another thread where I said I just needed to let go of concerning myself too much with my attention and kind of figure a way to work with it.

So I've been experimenting the last few weeks, with just doing everything that I have in my mind. Even if I jump from one thing to another, that's ok.

And I've actually found it helped tremendously. I think part of the problem is, that I have so many ideas and I tend to block them because of either, social conditioning, or I think it wont work, or I see someone else has already come up with something better, that I was just blocking myself continually and that has actually caused me not to do anything.

What I have noticed since doing everything that is on my mind, is that I have become more creative and my attention span is better!!! For the first time last night I spent a good amount of time drawing in my sketchbook, which I have not being able to do in a long while, due to concentration issues. I am talking years and years here.

Since giving things ago, it has allowed me to get certain things out of my system and so my mind is clearer. I will continue on with for the next month or so, to see how I have progressed.

[bluedragon]

I'm also very interested in this topic. I sometimes make stupid mistakes, but yesterday something really stupid happened. I was with some friends at a NGO presentation fair. We needed to get something to eat so I volunteered, and someone gave me a bill of the equivalent of 30 dollars (a single bill) and I put in in my pocket. I was walking towards the supermarket, holding my hand in the pocket with the money, and 3 minutes later I realized the money was gone. I went back and forth like an owl looking for the money, but someone must have already taken it. I also suspected someone actually stole it from my pocket, cause there were some pretty shallow pockets. I was sooo depressed, I couldn't accept the disappearance of such a large sum.

Then I resolved to become more alert and aware of what's happening around me. If I can learn from that experience and make a drastic improvement in this area, that can help me get over what happened. I want to develop razor-sharp attention at all times. I want to tell people when they forget things at a coffee-shop. I want to remember everyone's birthday and phone number. I want to notice every object in a room and what each person is wearing and who is with whom. I want to know if a squirrel appeared in a tree while I was walking by. What do you recommend?