Your mind’s focus is influenced by two specific factors: from the INTENTIONS you set as well as the information that you place your ATTENTION on. When you understand how these two aspects of awareness play into your ability to focus, you will have ability to take control over your mind in a way that will allow you to be massively productive and proactive.

What is Intention?

It’s the CHOICE we make as to where we want to direct our mind and body. A fully formed intention is a choice composed of a simple action (I intend to act this particular way), a specific goal (I intend to achieve this specific result), and an emotional state (I intend to feel this particular way).

You could imagine it as being like a GPS on your phone. What happens when you don’t put in an EXACT address? The GPS simply won’t work and you’ll go nowhere. If you want to get somewhere, you put in the exact address.

In example, if you want to lose weight, be specific about how you will do that:
I intend to lose weight by energetically jogging every morning for 15 minutes for the next 5 days

So before doing anything, always be sure to set your intention.

“We either live with intention or exist by default.”

What is Attention?

Now you may have an idea of where you want to go, but getting there is an entirely different experience. That is where “attention” comes to play...

Attention is the road map. It’s a dynamic process that requires constant focus. As with a GPS navigational system, if you stop looking at the directions, you’ll likely miss a turn and begin driving off course. Attention requires you to be vigilant of every step of the way.

Our environment has a HUGE impact on HOW we focus our attention. When you curate an environment that SUPPORTS your intention, you’ll likely stay ATTENTIVE.

In example… if your intention is to lose weight by jogging each morning, then a simple strategy to support your ATTENTION could be to place your jogging shoes and athletic clothing in front of your bedroom door. That way, when you wake up you will become immediately become attentive of your intention, and much more likely to act intentionally.

“Energy flows where attention goes.”

So, in a nutshell, that is the Intention / Attention model for staying focused. I’ve personally found it to be incredibly useful, considering how simple and easy it is to follow.

Are you ready to focus in a particular way? Let me know in comments what your intention is and how you will stay attentive!