5 techniques that amplify focus and execution
Living in a constant state of hustle and drive is so familiar to most of us that we aren’t always aware of what does – and doesn’t – help us focus.
Given how brains work, there are certain conditions that will cue beta waves when it comes time to deliver results.
Here are five techniques you can use to cue your brain to get into go mode.
1. Energize your body
To cue the focused execution mode in your brain, energize your body. Think about the brain of a zebra fish. When it moves, its brain lights up. The same effect happens in all species. Movement increases electrical activity in the brain.
If you want to improve your ability to execute, move your body before you start the task. Go for a brisk walk. Shake your limbs. Pace around. Hop up and down. Anything to activate your body and get your mind ready to switch into beta mode.
2. Engage your mind
In an age of distraction, the ability to control your mental focus is an essential skill. To develop this skill, we can follow the lead of elite athletes who are routinely required to enter a state of deep focus.
As an example, take game five of the 2015 American League Division Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers.
At the end of the seventh inning, José Bautista came to the plate with the game tied 3–3, two outs, and runners on first and third. He proceeded to hit a 1–1 pitch deep into the left field grandstand—the infamous “bat flip” homerun.
Later, writing in The Player’s Tribune, Bautista described the moment: “On the walk to the plate, my adrenaline wasn’t 10 out of 10, it was 10 million out of 10. It was so loud that it was quiet, and all that I could see was the pitcher. Everything else was out of focus.” He also commented that as the pitch was delivered, he could see the pitcher’s hand and fingers on the ball.
Bautista had a remarkable career in Toronto, but as he walked to the plate, he knew the moment would be career defining. He was so locked in that everything else fell away. Total focus.
As pressure increases, focus narrows. The challenge for you is to replicate this effect in your life and work when you don’t have 50,000 screaming fans to help you get in gear.
3. Use music to tune your brain to the right groove
Music can trigger the execution circuits in your brain. Whether you are walking into a meeting, preparing to deliver a speech or about to tackle a complex task, leverage the power of music.
The impact of music was on display recently when I took my daughter to see a Brian Adams concert.
We stood at the front beside the stage, and she was totally dialed into what was happening. At one point, she jumped in sync with Adams. The music had amplified her focus. (She now thinks sitting front row is normal, so that will bankrupt me in the future, especially since she got the set list and a guitar pick. She also thinks she and Brian Adams are friends!)
There's so much research coming out about the power of music, both for performance and mental health. We've now mapped the effects of music on the brain, and we know the regions of the brain that activate when we listen to music. These are the regions that help us concentrate, focus and improve our emotional state.
What’s particularly interesting is we have discovered that the regions of the brain up-regulated by music are the exact same regions that are down-regulated in depression. So if we're thinking about mechanisms to improve mental health, we know that music can have a positive impact.
Music can excite you. Music can calm you down. Music can make you very emotional. Music can make you happy or sad. You can also put music on in the background, to improve concentration and focus. So choose your music carefully.
On my way to events, I listen to very different music than on the way home from work. Experiment with music and develop different playlists for different tasks. I have a get-work-done, focus music list. I also have a morning-wake-up-and-go list. And we like to play loud music in my house in the morning. When The Lion King soundtrack blasts through our house at seven o'clock, my kids jump out of bed.
There's a reason why athletes listen to music right before they compete. It puts you in a high-performance state. Don't be afraid to leverage that for yourself to improve your beta brain wave function and performance.
4. Wage war on distraction
What's kills focus? Distraction. When you need to execute, be ruthless about eliminating distractions. Turn off your phone. Close your email. Get the job done.
One effective way to do this is to block check your email at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. – or two intervals that work for you. Otherwise, don’t look at it. If you do, you are instantly on someone else's agenda.
The exception of course is if it is your job to keep track of incoming emails, in which case, monitoring email is a form of focused execution for you.
5. Manage priorities, not time
One of the most effective techniques I have seen for controlling focus and moving seamlessly in and out of beta mode is to shift from time management to priority management. This involves organizing your time around what matters to you rather than around what gets put on your calendar.
If you are controlled by your calendar, inbox and social media, you will struggle to sustain and direct your focus. Instead, consider starting every day with a plan that includes blocking time for your most important tasks. This will enable you to be in full beta mode when you need it and deliver exceptional results.
Want to learn more?
Check out my new book Rest Refocus Recharge! In the book I cover simple and innovative ways to fight fatigue, feel stronger and live better.
In a 24/7 world, it can be a real challenge to get proper rest and give your mind and body the opportunity to fully recharge. In my new book, I outline how small changes in the way you rest, refocus and recharge can help you improve your mental health, prevent illness and deliver optimal results. In high-performance athletic circles, “deliberate recovery” practices are the secret weapon of the very best. But you don’t have to be an elite athlete to benefit from these strategies. Rest Refocus Recharge offers simple and practical techniques that you can easily incorporate into your existing routine, including:
Rest and sleep
Relax and create
Reflect and learn
Recharge and focus
Regenerate and perform
Let me know what you think about this article and the new book in the comments section below!
