More on concentration

I'm working on improving my concentration. It looks like a matter of both preparation and practicing.

Preparation:

The idea here is to reduce potential distractions as much as possible.

• I set up my work space as simply as possible. I try to have nothing in my field of vision that isn't part of my practicing.

• I have pencil and paper nearby in case something occurs to me that's so important it's worth stopping to write it down.

• I decide exactly what it is I'm going to concentrate on. That means having a clear and useful purpose and a clear and useful structure (tempo, length of time, number of reps, etc.) for this bit of practicing. Once it's decided, that's it – no decisions about this stuff while I'm concentrating! Decisions are distractions, whether you make them or try to put them off.

• Each day I pick a theme – a word, phrase, idea or sentence - that will remind me of the above and return me to it when I become distracted. I've used “relax my wrist,” “satisfying repetitions,” “This is my music,” “light touch,” “stay limber,” and more.

Practicing:

When I realize I've drifted off, I repeat the theme, refocus my attention, and keep going. As I do this I consciously relax a little. That's it. Repeat as often as necessary for the next 50 years.

It's essential to make this return without judgment, anger, frustration or tension, all of which are easy to fall into. Drifting attention and lapsed concentration are not mistakes; they just happen. That's how people are. Good concentrating does not mean no drifting; it means returning easily and quickly when it happens.