What is focus?
By Randy Salars·
Quick Answer — Consciousness
Focus is sustained selective attention: keeping working memory stable on one target while suppressing distractions and open loops.
✍️ Randy Salars
Short Answer
Focus is sustained selective attention: keeping your mind on one target long enough to make progress, while suppressing distractions and competing tasks.
How It Works (Mechanism)
- Working memory holds the “active problem” while irrelevant inputs are filtered out.
- Attention costs increase with each context switch (even quick ones).
- Emotional load competes for bandwidth and reduces stability.
Practical Levers
| Lever | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Clarity | Fewer possible next steps → less internal branching. |
| Environment | Removes triggers that reopen loops (phone, tabs, noise). |
| Bandwidth | Sleep and load determine how long focus can hold. |
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