We live in a world that focusing on one thing at a time is no longer the norm. In fact, it seems that for us to get everything done, we must multitask. So we find our attention is scattered to many “important” things that are going on in our life. But the facts indicate that this is a real problem. Take note of the finding reported on the website BrainFacts.org/ – (http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinking-behaving/awareness-and-attention/articles/2013/the-multitasking-mind/)
“Whenever you need to pay attention, an area toward the front of the brain called the prefrontal cortex springs to action. This area, which spans the left and right sides of the brain, is part of the brain’s motivational system. It helps to focus your attention on a goal and coordinates messages with other brain systems to carry out the task. While the right and left sides of the prefrontal cortex work together when focused on a single task, each side of the brain works independently when people attempt to perform two tasks at once.”
So in any given task if we are trying to do two things at once, we are only using half of our brain, with productivity going down to match. Focusing is not just a student issue, it is for adults too. Parents need focus on work, cooking, driving, repairing something and especially listening to each other and their children. Everyone in the workplace would be far more productive if their email were turned off while they focus on their tasks at hand.
Without focus, we can suffer from memory impairment, increased stress, lack creativity, and reduced productivity. Keeping our attention on the task at hand exclusively is the secret to moving forward in the direction of your goals and purpose.