Hey folks, this is your friendly INFJ writer reporting from a cozy dorm room at 8:45 on a Wednesday night. I’m currently procrastinating Philosophy, so I thought this would be an excellent moment to write about FOCUS. #ironicsarcasm

How do you focus?

Here's the short answer: it's about checking all your distractions at the door and not letting them enter your brain. Just being all-present in the moment that you're working. Sort of like meditation, but instead of clearing your mind, selectively letting thoughts enter.

Here's the long answer: that's much easier said than done. Distraction-minimization is perhaps the hardest thing to accomplish in our modern-day world. It takes practice. Competing in shooting sports has given me countless hours of practice, as shot after shot I force my brain to focus on a small black dot.

In shooting, we have something called a Shot Plan. It's basically a set of steps we go through (mentally and physically) every single shot. It's the same every time; and the fact that it's the same means we can devote our energy to what really matters: focusing and blocking out all distractions.

The shot plan becomes automatic, and it's something for our mind to grab onto when we are distracted - first we load the pellet, then close the bolt, then squeeze.

The thing is, shot plans aren't limited to shooting. You can have a "shot plan" for anything in your life: praying, journaling, writing, studying, the possibilities are endless. It’s just a set of steps that you do every time to get you in the 'mode.’ The more you practice, the better you get.

Will you give it a shot?