220 Focus Quotes

Here are 220 of the most inspiring focus quotes I could find. The goal? Simply to make you realize your focus and attention are everything is this busy world. Guard them. Enjoy!

In a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power. Yuval Noah Harari

Success demands singleness of purpose. Vince Lombardi

Focus does not mean saying yes, it means saying no. Steve Jobs

Only through focus can you do world-class things, no matter how capable you are. Bill Gates

It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world. Og Mandino

Effectiveness begins with elimination. Choose your ignorances as carefully as your interests. @TheStoicEmperor

Too much sugar leads to a heavy body, and too many distractions lead to a heavy mind. Naval Ravikant

The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus. Bruce Lee

Knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to focus on. Warren Buffett

I’ll live the focused life, because it’s the best kind there is. Winifred Gallagher

Your attention has value. Don’t give it away. They will say it’s important but it’s not. Stay focused. Maxime Lagacé

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha

The modern impediment to learning is attention, not access. @TheStoicEmperor

These three things leads to positive non-linear results: clarity, focus, and time. Simple but not easy. Shane Parrish

The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything. Warren Buffett

Related quote topics: inner peace, silence, hard work

The Best Focus Quotes

Go to table of contents

It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential. Bruce Lee Click to tweet

Focus is more important than genius. Greg McKeown

If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves. David Allen

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it; dream of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea; and leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. Swami Vivekananda

I think the ability is to singularly focus is related to the ability to lose yourself and be present, happy, and actually, ironically, more effective. Naval Ravikant

Humans are not designed to have the entire world’s news thrown at them all the time. Naval Ravikant

To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

99.99% of everything is noise. Michael Saylor

If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions. Albert Einstein

Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what’s urgent, learn to focus on what is really important. Stephen R. Covey

You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks. Winston Churchill Click to tweet

Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts. Søren Kierkegaard Click to tweet

Saying no is more important than saying yes. Shane Parrish

Self-actualizing people – highly functioning people who live at extraordinary levels of awareness – train their minds to focus on what they intend to create and what they intend to manifest, and they won’t let anybody change their mind. Wayne Dyer

The only reason men fail is because of broken focus. Mike Murdock

It is good to have a goal, but bad to let your goal have you. Focus is good, but focus that is too narrow becomes blindness. @TheStoicEmperor

Multitasking is the sign of a stressed and diseased mind simultaneously doing many things poorly. Quality work and quality thinking require quiet focus. Thibaut

Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary?” Marcus Aurelius

Develop the habit of letting small bad things happen. If you don’t, you’ll never find time for the life-changing big things. Tim Ferriss

Those who focus best are relatively immune to emotional turbulence. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials. Lin Yutang

Part 2. Focus Quotes That Are…

The Most Famous Focus Quotes

Go to table of contents

Searching for a famous focus quote and famous author? Check out those by Emerson, Thomas Edison, Tony Robbins, Bill Gates, etc.

I succeeded because I have a long attention span. Charlie Munger

Where focus goes, energy flows. Tony Robbins Click to tweet

Always remember, your focus determines your reality. George Lucas (Star Wars)

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. Dalai Lama

If there are nine rabbits on the ground and you want to catch one, just focus on one. Jack Ma (Alibaba)

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus. Alexander Graham Bell

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. Aristotle

Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in trade, in short in all management of human affairs. Ralph Waldo Emerson

My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few things. Bill Gates (Microsoft)

I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest. Venus Williams

Success at anything will always come down to this: focus and effort. And we control both. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)

I learned that focus is key. Not just in your running a company, but in your personal life as well. Tim Cook (Apple)

The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes. Sherlock Holmes

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. Steve Jobs

Focus like a laser, not a flashlight. Michael Jordan

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger. Arnold Palmer Click to tweet

The first requisite of success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem without growing weary. Thomas A. Edison

Channel your energy. Focus. Carl Lewis

The main thing is to keep the main thing a main thing. Stephen R.Covey

See also: The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results (Amazon Book)

Short Focus Quotes

Go to table of contents

One-liners, short focus quotes, sayings, thoughts and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, backgrounds.

You get more of whatever you give attention to. Shane Parrish

We expand what we focus on. Wayne Dyer Click to tweet

Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Flow follows focus. Steven Kotler

FOCUS – Follow One Course Until Successful. Robert T. Kiyosaki

High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus). Cal Newport (Deep Work)

Drama is distraction. @TheStoicEmperor

Re-focus. What’s vital? Thibaut

Infinite shiny objects, finite time. Jack Butcher

You must be zealous in order to focus. Maxime Lagacé

Focus on one thing: the most important. Maxime Lagacé

Only the paranoid survive. Andy Grove

Multitasking is a lie. Gary Keller (The ONE Thing)

Focus is the art of knowing what to ignore. James Clear

Focus is more important than intelligence. Unknown

When life gets blurry, adjust your focus. Unknown

Starve your distractions, feed your focus. Unknown

For the future, the motto is, “No days unalert”. Robert Greene

Take a deep breath and focus on what’s really important. Wayne Dyer

Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Gary Vaynerchuk

Being busy is cheap, focus is expensive. Brian Norgard Click to tweet

Focus is a matter of deciding what things you’re not going to do. John Carmack

Focus on what you have. Suze Orman

Do whatever you do intensely. Robert Henri

Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow. Robert T. Kiyosaki

Inspirational Focus Quotes

Go to table of contents

Goals may give focus, but dreams give power. John C. Maxwell Click to tweet

Set your target and keep trying until you reach it. Napoleon Hill

Don’t make excuses for why you can’t get it done. Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen. Ralph Marston

Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. Harriet Beecher Stow

Focus to unlock your genius. Maxime Lagacé

Don’t worry about what you can’t control. Our focus and energy needs to be on the things we can control. Attitude, effort, focus – these are the things we can control. Tim Tebow

Your current thoughts are creating your future life. What you think about the most or focus on the most will appear as your life. Rhonda Byrne

Everyone has the same amount of time, and hard work is simply hard work. As a result, what you do in the time you work determines what you achieve. And since what you do is determined by what you think, how big you think becomes the launching pad for how high you achieve. Gary Keller

An hour of focused attention may be worth more than days of partial attention. This is true for work and for relationships. Chronic “multitasking” is a symptom of messy decision making. Don’t try to do everything at once. Do one thing well, then do another. @TheStoicEmperor

Directed attention results in precise and effective action. Divided attention results in clumsy and inconsistent action. @TheStoicEmperor

How do some achieve what many desire? They seek the best teachers. They sacrifice. They delay gratification. They see the world as it is, not as they wish it to be. They revise their theories. They resist distraction. They watch the right metrics. They avoid costly drama. @TheStoicEmperor

Turn off the news. Delay the unessential. Reduce your appointments. Slow down. Break tasks into small portions. Seek help. Focus on little pleasures. Count your blessings. Sleep. Drink more water. Take a walk. Breathe deeply. Sit quietly and let every muscle relax. Thibaut

In general, obstacles force your mind to focus and find ways around them. They heighten your mental powers and should be welcomed. Robert Greene

Focus on your greater goal, your destiny. Robert Greene

Our focus is our future. David DeNotaris

Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is achieved. Swami Vivekananda Click to tweet

The past is gone, never to come back. Whatever you did or could not do is history; you cannot go back in time to do or undo it. Brooding on the past is futile, so is being anxious about future. Focus on what you can do in the present because the present is creating your future. @TheAncientSage

You either waste your time and energy multitasking , or you can focus all your resources on a single task and win big. But before you commit to that single task you must choose it with care otherwise it too will be a waste. Focus is power. Harness it and you can move mountains. @TheAncientSage

You can accomplish anything if you can: 1) prioritize ruthlessly 2) control your attention. Both of these have become particularly hard in the present age. As such those who can control these two critical factors will rule the world. @TheAncientSage

That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. Steve Jobs

To leave the distracted masses to join the focused few, I’m arguing, is a transformative experience. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

Human beings, it seems, are at their best when immersed deeply in something challenging. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is thus something that we make happen. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience)

All great achievements are the result of sustained focus over time – all of them. Gary Keller

Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. Mark Twain

Funny Focus Quotes

Go to table of contents

If you chase two rabbits, both will escape. Russian proverb Click to tweet

Nothing interferes with my concentration. You could put on an orgy in my office and I wouldn’t look up. Well, maybe once. Isaac Asimov

Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there. Josh Billings

Sometimes success is 3% brains and 97% not getting distracted by the Internet. Shane Parrish

Teens think listening to music helps them concentrate. It doesn’t. It relieves them of the boredom that concentration on homework induces. Marilyn vos Savant (See also: inspirational quotes for teens)

It’s a beautiful day to say no to almost everything. Jack Butcher

Multitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time. Steve Uzzell

Don’t watch the clock; Do what it does. Keep going. Sam Levenson

Would you like more funny words?

Deep Focus Sayings

Go to table of contents

It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about? Henry David Thoreau Click to tweet

Your attention is so valuable it is quite literally on auction 24/7. Jack Butcher

Keep the focus of your life in the here and now. Caroline Myss

Games are won by players who focus on the playing field – not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard. Warren Buffett

What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience. Rhonda Byrne

Concentrate on your task, right here, right now. Trust that if you do your best now, eventually, the law of compounding will act in your favor. Maxime Lagacé

Most people think that intelligence is about brain, where really it’s about focus. Genius is just attention to a subject until it becomes specific. Esther Hicks

If you don’t take the time to focus on what matters, then you’re living a life of someone else’s design. Tony Robbins

Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn’t watching. He’s singing and dancing. He’s pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother’s busy holding your attention every moment you’re awake. He’s making sure you’re always distracted. He’s making sure you’re fully absorbed. He’s making sure your imagination withers. Until it’s as useful as your appendix. He’s making sure your attention is always filled. And this being fed, it’s worse than being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what’s in your mind. With everyone’s imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world. Chuck Palahniuk

If we focus on what’s ugly, we attract more ugliness into our thoughts, and then into our emotions, and ultimately into our lives. Wayne Dyer

Your mind isn’t unfocused. It’s just focused on something that another part of your mind want’s it to be focused on. This creates self-conflict. Naval Ravikant

This may be the last generation that has a powerful tool like the Internet, and the focused attention span to do deep work. Naval Ravikant

The news allows you to dedicate massive amounts of energy and attention to things you probably cannot impact while the things you can impact go unaddressed. @TheStoicEmperor

Reaction is the enemy of creation. Creation requires deep sustained focus. This focus is under constant attack by “notifications” that encourage you to respond to unending false emergencies. Protect your attention and direct it to where it is most valuable. @TheStoicEmperor

Your attention has real economic value. How much of that value are you capturing? How much is being captured by Facebook, or Netflix, or CNN? Your attention has value to others. It should be priceless to you. Don’t give it away carelessly. @TheStoicEmperor

In today’s society, independent thinking is revolutionary activity where the human mind is bombarded with commercial aspirations. Thibaut

Be on guard. The road widens, and many of the detours are seductive. David Foster Wallace Click to tweet

You: Stares at a blue light emitting screen all day. Never gets sunlight. Sleeps 6 hours a night. Never meditates. Does not pre-allocate your time. Also you: “Why can’t I focus on anything for more than 20 minutes?” Life Math Money

In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it. Herbert A. Simon

Bring the mind into sharp focus and make it alert so that it can immediately intuit truth, which is everywhere. The mind must be emancipated from old habits, prejudices, restrictive thought processes and even ordinary thought itself. Bruce Lee (Tao of Jeet Kune Do)

Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life. Eckhart Tolle

Your distraction is someone else’s profit center. Jack Butcher

Observe things as they are and don’t pay attention to other people. Huang Po

The greatest challenge is to control oneself. Kazi Shams

Would you like more deep words?

See also: Focus: The Ultimate Guide on How to Improve Focus and Concentration (jamesclear.com) or Why The Most Productive People Do These Six Things Every Day (fastcompany.com)

Wise Focus Sayings

Go to table of contents

Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. Zig Ziglar Click to tweet

Focus on the solution, not on the problem. Jim Rohn

Stop managing your time. Start managing your focus. Robin Sharma

If you try to do too much, you will not achieve anything. Confucius

The faster and busier things get, the more we need to build thinking time into our schedule. And the noisier things get, the more we need to build quiet reflection spaces in which we can truly focus. Greg McKeown

People who can focus, get things done. People who can prioritize, get the right things done. John Maeda

I learned long ago to focus on things you can control and don’t even pay attention to things you don’t. Bryan Cranston

At any given time, when you’re walking down the streets, a very small percentage of your brain is focused on the present. The rest is future planning or regretting the past. That’s keeping you from an incredible experience. It’s keeping you from seeing the beauty in everything and for being grateful for where you are. Naval Ravikant

They will all ask for your time and attention. Learning to say no will be your superpower. Maxime Lagacé

There are times you’ll need to be wide open. There are times you’ll need to narrowly focused. Choose your perspective wisely. Maxime Lagacé

Just focus on the one or two really really important things, and everything else, just surrender to it. Naval Ravikant

When you slow down, you can focus better. It’s hard to focus if you’re moving to fast. Leo Babauta Click to tweet

One must say yes in order to develop. The young can benefit from saying yes to everything. Novel experiences reveal unknown talents and inclinations. Experience also reveals that many “opportunities” are only a chance to trade your time away. One must say no in order to focus. @TheStoicEmperor

Note when your attention drifts. Note what it drifts to. Identify what you find instinctively captivating. This may be valuable information about what you are capable of focusing deeply on. @TheStoicEmperor

Focus on what you control. Your habits. Your responses. Your ability to learn. Your ability to think. These are controllable and give you massive tailwinds. Shane Parrish

It’s not the chatter of people around us that is the most powerful distractor, but rather the chatter of our own minds. Utter concentration demands these inner voices be stilled. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)

Make sure every day you do what matters most. When you know what matters most, everything makes sense. When you don’t know what matters most, anything makes sense. Gary Keller

It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less. Nathan W. Morris

See also: Three Ways Meditation Boosts Your Focus (mindful.org) or Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (Amazon Book)

And finally, here’s Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens) on one the benefits of meditation:

First of all, it’s the ability to focus. When you train the mind to focus on something like the breath, it also gives you the discipline to focus on much bigger things and to really tell the difference between what’s important and everything else. (Check this interview for more)

Part 3. Focus Quotes About…

Quotes About Staying Focused, Attention, Concentration

Go to table of contents

The ability to stay focused will be the superpower of the 21st century. Cal Newport Click to tweet

To be concentrated means to live fully in the present. Erich Fromm

Focus all your attention and energy on the achievement of the objectives you are involved with right now. Denis Waitley

In this modern age, being able to stay focused on one thing for an extended period of time is what will separate you from the rest. Maxime Lagacé

The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus. Robert Greene

Attention is the most mispriced asset on the planet. People give it away for nothing online, and tech companies resell it for a fraction of its value. Johnny Uzan

Most people focus too much on what’s going to happen next, and not enough on what’s happening now. Marianne Williamson

The artists who endure are the ones who stay focused even after they have reached the top of their profession. Simon Cowell

Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed. Paulo Coelho

The things you give your attention to are shaping you, even if you are only reacting against them. They are modulating your mood and filling your head with fantasy scenarios. Pay attention to what you’re paying attention to. Become conscious of your focus and guide it. @TheStoicEmperor

Modern tech allows us access to so many voices. You have to turn them off sometimes if you want to be able to hear yourself think. @TheStoicEmperor

It is fruitless to look back and wish you had used your time differently. That kind of narcissism was what wasted so much time in the first place. Learn your lesson. Don’t wallow. Don’t relive the past. Turn your attention to the present. @TheStoicEmperor

The past is a memory, the future an illusion. Every moment is the only reality and each deserves our full attention. Thibaut

If your attention-span is a muscle, meditation is exercise. Eric Barker Click to tweet

Learn to maintain your attention span – just as the 99% are losing this ability to social media and on demand entertainment, you should be gaining it. Life Math Money

Attention works much like a muscle. Use it poorly and it can wither; work it well and it grows. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)

It feels like we’re going through life in a state of “continuous partial attention”. We’re there but not really there. Unaware of where we place our attention. Unconscious about how we live. Shane Parrish

The power of concentration is the only key to the treasure-house of knowledge. Swami Vivekananda

The field of consciousness is tiny. It accepts only one problem at a time. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The more you focus, the more that focus becomes a habit. Charles Duhigg

You need to be doing fewer things for more effect instead of doing more things with side effects. Gary Keller

Related quote topic: confidence

See also: The 6-Step Process To Train Your Brain To Focus (fastcompany.com) or 9 brain foods that will improve your focus and concentration (alifeofproductivity.com)

Focus Sayings About Clarity, Having A Clear Mind, Vision

Go to table of contents

Know what you want. Clarity is power. And vague goals promote vague results. Robin Sharma Click to tweet

Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

Less mental clutter means more mental resources available for deep thinking. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

Meditation helps concentration of the mind. Then the mind is free from thoughts and is in the meditated form. Ramana Maharshi

Gather all the information you can, work like hell on it, then take a break. Walk, meditate, journal, sleep, nap. By taking a step back, you’ll gain clarify and a new perspective. Maxime Lagacé

The more clarity you achieve, the more you will find that the universe is on your side, supporting your thoughts and intentions. Therefore, focus on clarity, not on getting results. The results will come according to their own rhythm and timing. Deepak Chopra

Short-term thinking makes people desperate, ungenerous, impulsive. Long-term thinking makes people calm, gracious, controlled. The mighty pyramids and cathedrals were built by civilizations with a long time horizon, so it is with the life of a great man. @TheStoicEmperor

A valuable long term mission can easily be derailed by emotionally loaded (but ultimately meaningless) short term drama. Focus on what matters. @TheStoicEmperor

Time spent undistracted and alone, in self-examination, journaling, meditation, resolves the unresolved and takes us from mentally fat to fit. Naval Ravikant

The more your mind is occupied by involuntary thoughts, the less working memory is available, which means less cognitive processing power. For your cognitive machinery to work at its optimal capacity, you must clear it of unwanted data, and free up more mental space. @TheAncientSage

Once you have clarity that something does not deserve your time and attention, be ruthless. Bharat Shah

It’s very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems. Thich Nhat Hanh

Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what he loves. Blaise Pascal

Prioritizing sharpens your vision so you can focus on the most important things. Myles Munroe Click to tweet

A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power. Brian Tracy

You must first clearly see a thing in your mind before you can do it. Alex Morrison

Clarity affords focus. Thomas Leonard

Related quote topic: trust, hope

See also: How to Get Your Brain to Focus on What Matters (jamesclear.com)

Focus Sayings About Distractions, Lack Of Focus, Multitasking

Go to table of contents

Stay focused, ignore the distractions, and you will accomplish your goals much faster. Joel Osteen Click to tweet

Distractions are eating away the prime of your life. You probably know this vaguely but don’t realize it deeply enough to take action. @TheAncientSage

In ancient times having power meant having access to data. Today having power means knowing what to ignore. Yuval Noah Harari

I don’t have a smartphone. My attention is one of the most important resources I have, and the smartphone is constantly trying to grab my attention. There’s always something coming in. Yuval Noah Harari

Corporations are using tech to reprogram you into a dependent consumer. Use tech to transform yourself into an independent producer. Johnny Uzan

Your time, focus and attention are your most valuable assets. That’s why companies try to trick you with drama. Stay alert. Maxime Lagacé

One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us. Daniel Goleman

Multitasking divides your attention and leads to confusion and weakened focus. Deepak Chopra

Mindfulness creates centered awareness. When you do one thing at a time, you’re guaranteed excellent results. If you do too many things simultaneously, it messes up your neural circuits. Deepak Chopra

Once the Internet came along, I think it destroyed everyone’s attention span. Now all of humanity’s works are available to you at any given time and you’re being interrupted constantly. Our attention span goes down, our ability to focus goes down. Naval Ravikant

Distractions secretly steal the most precious thing you have in your life – Time. Kunal

The average American watches over 30 hours of television a week. How many would say they have a project they’d love to do if only they “had the time?” @TheStoicEmperor

Modern humans overdose on information, pushing the limits of our design constraints. Future humans will adopt filtering mechanisms to avoid drowning in random data. They’ll look back on us with pity. Attention pollution is a huge drain on our collective intellectual resources. @TheStoicEmperor

We evolved in environments where it made sense to overreact to every threat. A lion in the grass requires an immediate reaction. Strike or be struck. Our threat detection systems are not designed for modern life and are easily exploited by cynical marketers and propagandists. @TheStoicEmperor

If you are easily provoked you are easily controlled. @TheStoicEmperor Click to tweet

Social media is very positive and profitable for a narrow set of people at the top of the distribution and is likely a net negative for almost everyone else. Most haven’t developed the skills to use it well. It captures a lot of attention and emotion for generally little reward. @TheStoicEmperor

Mobile phones should be called distraction machines. Checking your distraction machine first thing in the morning is not the ideal way to start your day. Muneed Ali

Entertainment hubs masquerading as productivity devices – the perfect combo. Naval Ravikant (On mobile devices)

E-mail isn’t free. It seems free. It feels free. Thibaut

Pollution can be smog from a factory or mental filth from mass media generated ideals. Thibaut

Public attention is actually a nuisance and a distraction. Robert Greene

Too many people believe that everything must be pleasurable in life, which makes them constantly search for distractions and short-circuits the learning process. Robert Greene

What if you stopped listening to news or “current affairs”? Surely for most people it’ll bring a positive change in their life. Instead of the temporary, focus on the timeless which is always relevant. What is current is not necessarily important/relevant. Often it is just noise. @TheAncientSage

Deep thinking demands sustaining a focused mind. The more distracted we are, the more shallow our reflections; likewise, the shorter our reflections, the more trivial they are likely to be. Daniel Goleman (Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence)

In life, drama is glamorized and used to usurp our attention. Advantages in life, however, are not based on drama but rather are the byproduct of doing mundane things every day really well without losing focus. Shane Parrish

Focus is like a muscle. And if you’re like most people, your focus muscles have gotten weak due to your constant multitasking, web-surfing, and busy-working. Shane Parrish

Information diets are “additive through subtraction”, like literal diets. Don’t focus on what you should consume but on what you shouldn’t. Michael

If you want to win the war for attention, don’t try to say ‘no’ to the trivial distractions you find on the information smorgasbord; try to say ‘yes’ to the subject that arouses a terrifying longing, and let the terrifying longing crowd out everything else. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

Once you’re wired for distraction, you crave it. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

Don’t take breaks from distraction. Instead take breaks from focus. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

To succeed with deep work you must rewire your brain to be comfortable resisting distracting stimuli. Cal Newport (Deep Work)

Keep things simple, focused and effective by single-tasking. Leo Babauta

Until my ONE thing is done, everything else is a distraction. Gary Keller (The ONE Thing)

Related quote topic: education

See also: 4 easy tactics for getting your attention span back (headspace.com)

Part 4. Conclusion

Go to table of contents

What you focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell upon determines your destiny. Robin Sharma Click to tweet

Call to action: Read The Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Focus (inc.com) or Three Little Habits to Find Focus (zenhabits.net) (If you are just starting out with focus)

Hope you enjoyed these inspiring focus quotes. If you did, please share them with a friend today!