Are you thinking, "I agree, but HOW do we improve our ability to focus and maintain attention -- no matter what?"

These five FOCUS tips can help you concentrate better -- whether you're working in a busy office, studying at school, sitting in a meeting, or trying to finish a project.

There are two kinds of people -- those who have learned how to work through frustration, and those who wish they had.  From now on, if you're in the middle of a task and tempted to give up -- just do FIVE MORE. Read FIVE MORE pages.  Finish FIVE MORE math problems.  Work FIVE MORE minutes.

Just as athletes build physical stamina by pushing past the point of exhaustion, you can build mental stamina by pushing past the point of frustration.  Just as runners get their second wind by not giving up when their body initially protests, you can get your "second mind" by not giving up when your willpower initially protests.  Continuing to concentrate when your brain is tired is the key to S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your attention span and building mental endurance.

Samuel Goldwyn said, "If I look confused, it's because I'm thinking."  Feeling scatter-brained?  Overcome perpetual preoccupation with the Godfather Plan -- make your mind a deal it can't refuse.  Yes, the mind takes bribes.  Instead of telling it NOT to worry about another, lesser priority (which will cause your mind to think about the very thing it's not supposed to think about!); assign it a single task with start-stop time parameters.

For example, "I will think about how to pay off that credit card debt when I get home tonight and have a chance to add up my bills.  For now, for the next thirty minutes from 1-1:30 pm, I will give my complete focus to practicing this presentation so I am eloquent and articulate when pitching this proposal to our VIP clients."

Still can't get other concerns out of your head? Write them down on your to-do list so you're free to forget them. Recording worrisome obligations means you don't have to use your brain as a "reminder" bulletin board, which means it can give undivided attention to your top priority task.

Don't feel like concentrating?  Are you putting off a task, project, or chore?  That's a form of procrastination.  R. D. Clyde said, "It's amazing how long it takes to complete something we're not working on."

Next time you're about to postpone a responsibility ask yourself, "Do I have to do this?  Do I want it done so it's not on my mind?  Will it be any easier later?"  Answering those three questions can give you the incentive to mentally apply yourself now.  You realize that postponing this project won’t make it go away, and delaying it will only add to your guilt and make this onerous task occupy more of your mind and time.

Picture your mind as a camera and your eyes as the aperture.  Understand that our attention is where our eyes are. Most of the time, our brain is in "wide-angle focus."  We are looking around and thinking about many things at once.  We can operate quite efficiently this way (e.g., you’ve probably driven down a crowded highway while talking to a friend, fiddling with the radio, and watching for your exit sign.)

What if you can’t afford to multi-task right now?  What if you have to give something your 100% concentration?  Cup your hands around your eyes so you have "tunnel vision" and are looking solely at your priority project.  Placing your hands on the side of your face blocks out surroundings so they are literally "out of sight, out of mind." You are now in “telephoto focus” because you are looking at and thinking about only one thing.

Want even better news?  Does the name Pavlov r-r-r-ring a bell?  If you cup your hands around your eyes every time you want to switch from wide-angle to telephoto focus, that physical ritual becomes a Pavlovian trigger.  Remember how Pavlov rang the bell, fed the dog, rang the bell and fed the dog until the dog started salivating every time he heard the sound of the bell.  Similarly, if you use your hands as blinkers every time you want to narrow your focus, you train your brain to instantly switch to "one track" mind and you will learn how to concentrate on your command.

Want to know how to be "here and now?" Like to learn how to be fully present instead of being perpetually preoccupied?  Frederick Franck said, "When the eye wakes up to see again, it suddenly stops taking anything for granted."  Evelyn Underhill said, "For lack of attention, a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day."

I constantly relearn how important it is to overcome our constant state of distraction.  One time I was giving my sons their nightly back rub.  Although I was sitting right next to them, I was a million miles away in my mind. I was thinking of the early morning flight I had to take the next day and wondering if I had packed my presentation hand-outs, if my laptop had my power-point,  etc.

Suddenly, my unfocused eyes fell upon my sons and I truly SAW Tom and Andrew as if I was looking at them for the first time.  I was immediately flooded with a flow of gratitude for these two healthy, thriving miracles.  I felt blessed to have been gifted with such wonderful sons.  In an instant,  I went from being absent-minded to being completely concentrated on my sons and filled with a sense of awe and appreciation for their presence in my life.

Next time your mind is a million miles away, simply look around you and really SEE your surroundings.  Study that exquisite flower in the vase. Get up close to the picture on the wall and marvel at the artist's craftsmanship.  Lean in and really look at a loved one you tend to take for granted.  This will "Velveteen Rabbit" your world and make it come alive before your very eyes.

Reprint Rights:  Sam Horn's articles are copyrighted so if you would like to reprint any of these articles, please contact Sam Horn for permission and include the following: "Reprinted (or excerpted) with permission from Action Seminars' newsletter by Sam Horn, author of Tongue Fu! and Take The Bully By The Horns,  www.samhorn.com,  805-528-4351."