To Improve Your Focus, Clear the Clutter
Here are 3 changes you can make right now
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Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus call themselves “The Minimalists.” They have been featured on practically every major network in America talking about how people can improve their lives by reducing the amount of stuff they have.
I am not a minimalist (by any stretch of the imagination), but after learning more about the philosophies of these two gentlemen a few weeks ago, I decided to take a hard look at my life. I chose to whittle down three areas of my little world. And while The Minimalists speak largely about discarding physical objects, I also explored how I might minimize my obligations as well.
The result was staggering. I did not realize how much of my brain space was being occupied by things like apps, book guilt, and peripheral commitments. The direct consequence of paring down these three areas of my life was not only a removal of many distractions, but it was also a challenge to raise my focus game.
See, I had been using these life distractions to procrastinate in my most important work. By minimizing my stuff and my calendar, I forced myself into a veritable study carrel. Without these outlets for procrastination, I was forced to be more productive.
And, in the words of The Minimalists, “Minimalists don’t focus on having less, less, less. We focus on making room for more: more time, more peace, more creativity, more experiences, more contribution, more contentment, more freedom. Clearing the clutter frees up the space.”
While I don’t think I’ll ever identify as a minimalist, making the following three changes in my life made a huge difference in my focus and my productivity. Why these three? I don’t know. They were the first ones that spoke to me. I’m working on listening to my intuition lately. So, without further ado, I streamlined:
Books
I will start with the difficult one. I am obsessed with books. I love them in every way. I love to touch them, collect them, and read them over and over. I am assuming that some of you may have an emotional connection with your books as well. While this is an admirable trait (and one that has likely made us more intelligent and compassionate…
