The Venn Method for Enhanced Focus

Introduction

• Purpose: To provide a four-part strategy called the Venn Method for improved study focus.
• Ultimate Goal: Achieve efficient study sessions and retain time for personal life.
• Bonus Point: Includes a tip for those with ADHD.

Understanding Focus

The Challenge

• Problem: Difficulty in focusing on study versus easy focus on entertainment like phones/TV.
• Observation: We don't have a fundamental issue with focus since focused entertainment is easy.

Setting Clear Goals

• Key to Initial Focus: Having a predetermined and clear goal.
• Mechanism: Clear goals provide the brain a target, rewarding with dopamine motivation on achievement.
• Application: Set specific, frequent study goals.
  • Examples: 20 questions on psychiatry, write notes on hospital conditions, read 20 pages of a textbook, etc.

Maintaining Focus

Progressive Overload for Focus

• Concept: Gradually increase focus time, similar to increasing weights in physical training.
• Steps:
  1. Set a Timer: Start working and stop timer when focus is lost.
  2. Establish Baseline: Determine initial focus time.
  3. Incremental Increase: Take a break, then try to exceed baseline by 10-20 minutes. Repeat until stable.
• Task-Based Measurement: Once adequate focus achieved, shift from time-based to task-based focus.
  • Example: Complete tasks back-to-back without breaks.

Handling Distractions

• Contrary Advice: Don't eliminate distractions; instead, prove you can focus despite them.
• Rationale: Gaining control over surroundings boosts focus.

Deep Focus for Efficiency

Active Focus

• Engagement: Avoid passive learning; actively summarise and engage.
• Method: Regularly summarizing learned sections and testing retention.

Parkinson’s Law

• Principle: Tasks expand to fill time available.
• Strategy: Set strict time constraints for tasks to maintain pressure and efficiency.
  • Example: Allocate three hours for essay writing.

Regaining Focus with Refocus Meditation

Technique

• Goal: Maintain momentum by practicing refocusing.
• Process: Spend 13 minutes focusing on breathing and a point on your forehead.
  • Action: Realign focus whenever it strays.
• Outcome: Brain trains to automatically return to focus, indicated effective for ADHD management.

Next Steps

• Further Learning: Explore the diamond study system for efficient learning with minimal study time.