The Power of Willpower - The Art of Focus for Developers

The Issue

I know that there are many people who know what they need to do, but end up not doing it even though they really want to. For example, in the morning they might plan to read a book, learn English, or work on personal projects in the evening, but when they get home, they don't feel like doing it anymore, despite the initial enthusiasm. They keep comforting themselves that they will start the next day, but things don't seem to get any better.

There are also cases where they sit down at their desk and end up doing something completely unrelated: seeing a dirty desk and cleaning it, seeing a full hard drive and deleting files, doing X when they should be doing Y… and forgetting about their main task.

No matter what, it seems like their actions are going against their desires. Why is that? Is it just happening to them or is it something that others also experience? And why are others able to work diligently?

That's because they haven't truly "focused" on their work. Many people think that focus is an innate trait, but it's not. You can become a master of focus if you know how to train yourself. But before entering the focus stage, you need to maintain willpower!

What is Willpower?

The source of focus lies in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for controlling thoughts and emotions, and it is responsible for cognitive function and creativity. Throughout evolution, the human prefrontal cortex has grown larger and gained capabilities that other animals do not have.

Willpower at this point is like the strength of the prefrontal cortex. If you have to think too much or express emotions frequently, the prefrontal cortex has to work more and your willpower gets drained, which reduces the ability to focus. But luckily, willpower can be restored through sleep or other scientific methods.

In reality, if you find yourself unable to focus, is it because you are thinking about something else? Or are you working and suddenly the phone screen lights up, causing various thoughts about whether you should pick up your phone or not? Even worse, when faced with difficult tasks that make you lose your composure and express anger, can you still focus as before?

I used to encounter such situations frequently. But fortunately, I discovered and found solutions for myself. If I suddenly think about something, I will immediately shut it down or if it's a simple problem, I will answer it right away. I keep my phone out of reach during working hours. In fact, my phone is always in "Do Not Disturb" mode. Except for incoming calls, regular notifications never distract me. If faced with a difficult issue, instead of getting angry, I pause and relax until my mood returns to normal…

The brain is not designed for easy focus. Looking back to ancient times, the living environment was full of lurking dangers, forcing our ancestors to be vigilant all the time. In the modern era, we still have that ability. That's why you can't focus all day or for a long period of time. Instead, divide your time to focus. Have you heard of the "Pomodoro" technique? It's basically a process of working for 25 minutes, then resting for 5 minutes. This means you should focus and limit yourself to completing a task within 25 minutes, then take a break for 5 minutes and repeat. Besides "Pomodoro," there are many other time management techniques, but they all share the principle of focusing for a short period of time interspersed with breaks.

The shorter the time, the higher the productivity. Try setting a time limit for any task you have and focus on completing it, you will achieve unexpected results.

How to effectively use and boost willpower?

Willpower can be trained to increase or used sparingly. Imagine willpower as the HP (hit points) of a game character. HP represents the character's strength, and it can increase when the character levels up, but it gets depleted when using powerful moves. If you don't waste HP on small enemies, the remaining HP can be used to defeat a boss.

To increase willpower, I have a few methods. But the simplest one is to pay attention to your sitting posture while working. Do you know the correct sitting posture for people who work on computers? The simplest image is having both feet touching the ground, elbows resting on the desk, a straight back with a slightly bent head. Try sitting like them and see how long you can maintain that posture.

If you unconsciously realize that you have changed your posture, like crossing your legs, resting your chin on your hand, or slouching, immediately readjust to the correct posture. This might seem simple but it's actually quite challenging. However, the results of this exercise will train you to have unparalleled focus. The brain has to constantly pay attention to your sitting posture and make adjustments, creating a reflex for unconditional focus.

Saving willpower is also a problem that requires time to solve. A golden rule is to save decision-making. Whenever you hesitate to make a decision, you are depleting your willpower. It's like wasting HP on small enemies. Pay attention, do you feel comfortable when you wake up in the morning and haven't start thinking about anything yet, but a few hours later, you start feeling tired because your mind is filled with questions about choices: What to wear? What to eat for breakfast? Which route to take to work? Is the road congested? What to eat for lunch?…

If you can answer those questions immediately without hesitation, you are saving your willpower. On the contrary, if those questions keep looping in your head and you can't make a decision, your willpower is being severely depleted. How can you focus on other tasks in that case?

I save willpower by having a limited number of choices. For example, I only have white and black shirts for work, all of my pants are dark-colored, and they all have similar styles. That way, I don't have to think about what to wear each day, I just decide that today I will wear white, tomorrow I will wear black… The same applies to breakfast, if I have three options like steamed buns, bread, and instant noodles, I follow a rotating rule so I don't have to think much. In short, I find ways to make quick decisions for simple choices like that.

For decisions that cannot be postponed and still need to be done in the end, do it immediately. For example, after finishing a meal, instead of thinking whether to wash the dishes immediately or not, just wash them right away. When it comes to sitting at the desk to study English, of course, just sit down and do it immediately.

In addition to training and conserving willpower, recovery and supplementation methods are also essential. You can use certain types of food to enhance focus, such as coffee, yogurt, and nuts. Remember, the brain is not designed for easy focus. Divide the time for focus and rest reasonably. For example, focus for 15 minutes, 20 minutes… then take a 5-minute break and continue.

Advice

To be honest, what I presented here is mainly for reading purposes and for reference. Some people may find it obvious and wonder why they need to do certain things to get results. I don't deny that way of thinking, but the techniques mentioned above have been proven effective, and the knowledge comes from various sources including books. If you have the opportunity, you can refer to the book "The Art of Focus" by a psychologist named Daigo.

There is an age-old saying: "You can lead a horse to the water, but you can't make it drink; it will only drink when it's thirsty." It implies that no one can force you to follow their advice, but they can provide insights and choices, and it solely depends on you whether you decide to follow or not.