I’m not sure how directly this relates to focus and attention, but I wanted to share it anyway. Scatterbrained or not, I’ve always been a great problem solver. One of my strengths, I believe, is refusing to accept a single cause—especially when that cause might just be a symptom.
A powerful tool for getting to the root of a problem is asking “why” five times.
For example, let’s say your car runs out of gas:
- Why did I run out of gas? I forgot to fill up. (Obvious, right?)
- Why did I forget to fill up? I was in a hurry and didn’t notice. (Okay, makes sense.)
- Why was I in a hurry? I woke up late.
- Why did I wake up late? I went to bed very late.
- Why did I go to bed late? I was out partying.
This is a simple example, but in practice, you likely wouldn’t use this method for something so straightforward. Instead of just concluding that partying caused me to run out of gas (which it did), a better takeaway is that carelessness was the real issue. A practical solution might be to never let my gas tank drop below a quarter full, especially when I know I’m prone to rushing.
I’ve applied this exercise to my own challenges, and it has helped bring underlying issues—like focus, concentration, and attention—to the surface in ways I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.
Try using the 5 Whys for yourself and see what insights you uncover.
Matt Soreco 