WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER SCIENTIFIC STUDY to convince us that our ability to focus is in decline – or that our success in life largely depends on that ability. Kids struggle to concentrate during distance learning while parents “multi-task” their days away in a haphazard blur. What we really need is a (fun) way to strengthen our concentration – an activity that increases our ability to cancel out distractions until a task is completed in a way we’re proud of.
“Until you know how to focus, you’ll never be able to think clearly, solve problems, make decisions, or remember things effectively…but staying on a task is becoming harder and harder.
“Every time your mind wanders from your work, you have to waste time and energy getting back on track. A recent study from the University of California calculated that it took people an average of 25 minutes and 26 seconds to get back to work after an interruption. This means that every time something takes your attention off your work, you lose nearly half an hour of your precious time.” ~ Leon Ho, the founder and CEO of Lifehack
Focus produces quality – in work, as well as in relationships.
For some, the game of chess is an excellent way to strengthen focus – to fully engage for extended periods and ignore distractions. But who has the patience to tackle a 2 (or 3 or 4) hour game that always starts the same way and may also have a predictable ending (depending on whom you play)?
“The old chess is too limited. Imagine playing cards…and every time the dealer has the same starting hand – you have the same starting hand. What’s the point?” ~ Bobby Fischer
Hydra is a whole new dynamic.
Each round begins differently, and circumstances can change drastically at any moment. Players can’t be confident who will win until the final move. Not only will you have to stay engaged, you’ll want to. And your increased heart rate will encourage you to – right up to the end. Games generally run 5-30 minutes, so you’ll get used to concentrating for undetermined lengths of time – however long it takes to pull a rabbit from a hat, or dodge another bullet.
In short, if you can make focus fun, you’ve already won.