Everyone I talk to seems to be fighting the same battle. Even when we’ve cut down on social media and turned off notifications, our minds wander.

That chat stuck with me. I wondered why focus remains elusive even when we avoid obvious distractions. 

I pulled out my journal and asked: “Why can’t we focus?”

At first I listed the standard culprits like phones, news feeds, and our endless to‑do lists. 

But I realized those aren’t really my issues. I like to think of myself as a fairly disciplined person. I don’t spend too much time on my phone and don’t use social media a lot.

And yet, over the past year I’ve had trouble getting into deep writing sessions. So I kept digging. What had changed?

After some reflection, I saw the root cause: I’d let go of a practice that had anchored my attention for a decade: Deep Thinking.

The lost habit of thinking time

My journaling reminded me of the book The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham. So I pulled it up again on my Kindle.

Cunningham talks about the importance of “Thinking Time.” He argues that most of us are “too busy being busy to think” and that carving out time to think is the most valuable activity we can do.

Cunningham says:

“Thinking is the most valuable activity you can engage in. Most people are too busy being busy to think.”

Re-reading his book reminded me of a habit I’d built over the past ten years but had unconsciously let slip.

My version of thinking time is simple: I sit down with my journal, put on some background music or a YouTube video I don’t need to pay attention to, and start writing. 

I describe what’s going on in my life, then I ask myself a question and explore it on paper. 

For example…

• Practical questions: “How can I strengthen my back?”
• Creative questions: “What should I write about next?”
• Big-picture questions: “Where is the economy headed?”

Sometimes I just sit and let my mind wander.

Without fail, I come away with fresh insights and a clearer sense of direction.

When I skip this journaling ritual for too long, I always notice it in my work. My focus suffers and writing feels like pushing a boulder uphill. 

But when I return to it, my mind sharpens again. It’s like training a muscle.

Thinking is focus training

Focus isn’t just about eliminating distractions; it’s about training your mind to stay with a question long enough to discover something new.

 Deep thinking is like weightlifting for your brain. It’s uncomfortable at first; your thoughts jump around and you may feel restless. 

But if you stick with it, the scattered noise quiets down and ideas begin to connect. You start to see patterns and possibilities you’d miss in the rush of everyday tasks.

Most of us don’t have a focus problem; we have a thinking problem. Our days are packed with doing and reacting. We seldom pause to ask good questions and then sit with them. 

But the quality of our answers, as Cunningham writes, “will always be determined by the quality of your questions.” 

When we make time to think, we’re actively training our capacity to focus.

How to start your own Deep Thinking practice

You don’t need a fancy setup or hours of free time to build this habit. Here’s how I practice Deep Thinking:

• Schedule a block of 30 minutes where you won’t be interrupted. Turn off your phone and close your email.
• Open a notebook or journal. Start by jotting down what’s been happening in your life, work, or relationships. This warms up your mind.
• Pose a question. It can be about anything that’s on your mind. A decision you’re wrestling with, a project you’re planning, a skill you want to build.
• Write whatever comes up. Don’t censor yourself. Follow your thoughts wherever they go. If you get stuck, stare out the window for a minute and return to the page.
• Stop when you feel clear. You’re not trying to produce a polished piece of writing. You’re giving yourself space to think.

When I revived my thinking time practice again recently, my focus returned. I started working on new articles and even came up with ideas for new books. That energized me a lot.

The fog of the unfocused mind disappeared and I started seeing things clearly again.

If you’re struggling to focus, don’t just blame your phone or habits. 

Consider whether you’ve been thinking deeply enough.

The post Deep Thinking: The Most Important Thing to Boost Focus appeared first on Darius Foroux.

If you’ve tried that in the past, you know the tactics never last. You read about the latest productivity advice, try it, feel a boost in focus, but after a few days, you’re back to where you started.

That’s because your productivity and ability to focus are byproducts of how you live.

When your days are calm and intentional, you’re focused without making much of an effort. When your life is loud and reactive, your mind follows the chaos. And as a result, it’s hard to focus.

The key is to stop treating attention like something you have to generate with tricks and tactics.

Build a life that makes it easy to do the work.

That’s the key to unbreakable focus.

In my experience, it comes down to four switches. I call it STIB:

Space – calm, clear, distraction-free
Time – protected focus windows
Input – high-quality mental fuel
Body – energy to sustain focus

As you can see, this is not complicated. We all know that if we control those switches, we feel better and more focused. That’s why I think it’s a skill we’ve forgotten to use because of all the distractions of life.

Let me share with you how you can switch them back on so you can boost your focus.

Switch 1: Space – Calm, clear, distraction-free

Your environment is either pulling you into work or away from it.

Henry David Thoreau put it simply: “We can never have enough of Nature.” He wasn’t just talking about trees and rivers. He meant simplicity, the kind of surroundings that settle the mind instead of stirring it up.

I notice this most when I’m in a messy space. A messy desk often becomes an excuse to stop working and start organizing. That’s why I keep my desk almost empty. Just my computer, notebook, and pen. If I’m doing deep work, my phone needs to be far away from me.

A study from the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute showed that physical clutter directly competes for neural attention and reduces cognitive capacity. Removing clutter means freeing up mental focus.

Also, research shows that loud background noise, especially around 95 dBA, significantly impairs attention and slows performance compared to quiet environments.”

A good workspace doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to strip away what distracts you and make work feel like the obvious thing to do.

Switch it on:

• Remove your phone from the room during focus blocks
• Reduce noise with a closed door, headphones, or steady background sound
• Keep only the tools for your current task on your desk
• Use bright, natural light during the day; softer light in the evening

Switch 2: Time – Protected focus windows

You can’t do focused work if you can’t sit still for long periods of time without getting distracted.

Alexander Graham Bell once said, “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” That’s what a protected time block is—a lens for your attention.

For me, that’s the first two hours after I wake up. It’s the block where I write my best work. No calls, no Slack, no “just one quick thing.” I even block that time on my calendar so no one else can grab it.

This is really a habit. I remember the days I had a corporate job. I would show up between 8:45 AM and 9 AM, grab a coffee, chat with coworkers, open my laptop, check emails, fiddle around, and reply to messages, then spend the rest of the day in reactive mode.

Or in my less-focused periods as a writer, I would wake up, check some YouTube videos, reply to some emails, and then spend the rest of the day wandering around.

You’ve got to get it into your system that you’re going to sit down for some REAL work every single day.

One block a day is enough to make real progress, but it has to be truly protected. Treat it like a meeting with someone you respect; you wouldn’t cancel it for a random notification.

Switch it on:

• Book a 60–90 minute block for your most important work at the same time each day
• Batch email and messages into two or three windows
• Define a clear finish line for each focus session and work until you reach it

Switch 3: Input – High-quality mental fuel

Your brain runs on what you feed it: Ideas, information, and energy.

The ancient philosopher Confucius said, “The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.” In other words, it’s about acquiring and using the information that matters.

One of the best decisions I made was to remove social media apps from my phone. I also limit my news intake, especially in the morning. My mornings are reserved for creating, not reacting.

Physicist Richard Feynman warned, “You are the easiest person to fool.” If you don’t guard your inputs, you’ll end up believing noise, chasing distractions, and feeding your mind the equivalent of junk food.

I notice this a lot with social media. If I spend some time on Instagram, my mind only thinks about going on vacation, buying a new car, and just getting away from work.

If I spend time on X, I feel like I want to sell all my stocks because it’s filled with doomsday thinkers and uber-optimists. People are either extremely negative or extremely positive. I can’t stand that.

Protect your inputs, and you protect your attention.

Switch it on:

• Halve your feeds, unfollow aggressively and prune often
• Delay news until midday so your mind starts calm
• Keep a capture list for random ideas so they don’t hijack your focus

Switch 4: Body – Energy to sustain focus

Your body sets the ceiling for your attention.

Benjamin Franklin gave the simplest prescription: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” The science backs him. Consistent sleep, light exposure, movement, and hydration are non-negotiable for mental performance.

I’ve been working out consistently since I was 17. Somewhere in my twenties, I stopped regular working out, which was also my least productive years. I got back to working out almost daily when I started writing in 2015.

Since then, I’ve noticed something very powerful. On the days I work out, I feel physically tired and mentally satisfied. I feel like I used my body, and I deserve the rest. Even if I go for an hour walk, I feel that way.

I don’t beat my body up or anything. I spent the entire month of June with my wife in the south of Spain. Most of my daily exercise was done at a calisthenics park, where I did a few pull-ups and push-ups every day. And I went on a run twice a week and a long walk daily. I stayed in pretty good shape.

As Leonardo da Vinci famously said: “A well spent day brings happy sleep.” When your days are meaningful and your body is cared for, rest becomes a reward that powers you for tomorrow.

Switch it on:

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule—bedtime and wake time within an hour
• Get 10 minutes of natural light in the morning to set your body clock
• Move daily: at least 20–30 minutes of activity, plus a few strength sessions each week
• Stop caffeine by early afternoon

Remember STIB: Your focus comes naturally when you have a good lifestyle

Space keeps distractions out. Time makes focus inevitable. Input feeds your mind what it needs. Body gives you the energy to sustain it.

If you get these four switches on, you don’t need productivity hacks or tactics.

Your focus will be unbreakable.

The post Unbreakable Focus: The Skill Everyone Forgot How to Use appeared first on Darius Foroux.

Yeah right.

Meanwhile, the real world was full of gatekeepers, job interviews, unpaid internships, and rejections at every step you tried to take. That version of manifesting always felt disconnected from reality.

But I’ll be honest, I never completely dismissed the idea. Something about it stuck with me. Maybe not the mystical part, but the part about belief. 

The part that said: If you can imagine something clearly enough, and you’re willing to work for it, maybe you can make it happen.

In 2015, I did just that. I slowly started turning nothing into something. I wrote a book. Didn’t cost me anything. I uploaded it through Amazon KDP and a few people bought it. That felt pretty good. I wasn’t rich, but I proved to myself that I could earn money from ideas. That moment changed the way I saw the internet — and myself.

Later, I started a newsletter. Then came courses. I spent $2400 on a Kajabi Pro subscription which I still use to host my courses. That first year, I made about five grand. Not much. But every year after, it grew. Within three years, it became a six-figure business. Just by sharing what I knew and helping people solve problems.

All with very little investment. Just time, effort, and ideas. I didn’t hire a team. I didn’t raise money. I just focused. Wrote every week. Stayed consistent. And kept at it.

It was still hard to start. But now? It’s even easier. The tools are better. The gatekeepers are gone.

You can build solo, and you can do it straightaway. You don’t need to take out loans or chase investors. You can get your first sale within days or weeks.

Forget the woo-woo. Manifesting is about FOCUS.

This isn’t about vision boards or magical thinking. This is about aligning your thoughts with your actions. It’s about identifying what you want and then designing your day around making it real.

Modern manifesting means thinking clearly and focusing on the ONE thing you want to accomplish.

If you chase every idea you have or opportunity you see, you end up with nothing.

It’s clarity, commitment, and creation. That’s it. That’s the formula. And most people still miss it because they want shortcuts. But there are none. The only “secret” is doing the work.

You simply start working towards one thing and then improve as you go. You get in the game. You don’t just dream about it.

And what if it doesn’t work out? You adjust!

Right now, you’ve got access to:

• AI tools that make you work so much faster
• Platforms like Amazon KDP, Substack, and Kajabi
• YouTube and social media to distribute your message
• Communities that can support your growth

We’re talking leverage on a scale that didn’t exist 10 years ago. Most people sit on digital gold mines without even realizing it.

You don’t need permission. You don’t need a team. You don’t even need a lot of money. You just need the guts to start — and the discipline to keep going when it’s not glamorous.

What if you don’t want to start a business or do anything online?

Ever since the start of modern civilization, people have gotten rich through investing and speculation.

People bought land, stocks, and real estate. That was always hard because you needed a lot of money to make money.

That’s no longer true. You can trade stocks for free and you can start with little money.

That has brought in many new participants in markets over the past decade. That means there are always buyers and sellers. And that’s the only thing you need to make money.

It’s just as risky as starting a business. If you start a business, you invest time and money, and many times it doesn’t work out.

Trading stocks or other assets is the same. Like any money-related thing in the world, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you will lose it. 

So if you want to make money with stocks or trading, the key is once again focus.

Since 2020, I’ve beaten the market consistently, not by gambling or day trading, but by:

• Being patient
• Staying invested
• Making selective bets on stocks I deeply understand

I track them daily. I research a lot. I don’t try to predict everything. I just focus on knowing my edge. I don’t jump on hype. I look for companies I believe in. Then, I wait for the right time to buy them at the right price.

What’s the right price?

No one knows. You can make up your own mind about it. And if you’re right, you win, if you’re wrong, you lose. That’s the hard part about investing.

For example, I bought Tesla in the summer of 2024 in the $160s and at a PE ratio in the 40s. Then it ran up to the $400s and a PE of 200. So I sold it in January 2025 because it was just way too expensive for me to hold. And I made a good return.

This kind of manifesting doesn’t get talked about as much. But it’s real. You can turn five figures into six. Six into seven. Not by luck. By learning, by studying, and by acting on what you know. That’s how real wealth is built.

You can still make money from AI and business. But there’s also a serious opportunity in the markets. If you’re willing to learn, this is one of the best times in history to build wealth faster than most think is possible.

What’s stopping you?

It’s not a lack of knowledge. You’re drowning in information. It’s not a lack of tools. You have more power in your pocket than NASA had in the ’60s.

It’s often the normal reasons like hesitation, doubt, and fear of failing. 

Just remember that fear is temporary. Regret is permanent.

But there’s one kind of regret that you want to have in life.

Every single time I do well in the stock market, I think, “I should’ve bought more.” I’d rather feel that way than say, “I wish I bought.” 

Because the latter is the worst. It means I didn’t act.

And it’s the same with any endeavor. If you want to accomplish something, start working on it. I guarantee you that you will not regret that decision because you will always learn something.

I’ve done many things in my life that seemed stupid or a waste of time at the time, but in hindsight, I’m always glad I did them.

You don’t need to believe in yourself to begin. You just need to act. Belief comes from action, not the other way around.

Despite all the uncertainty and weird things that are going on in the world, this is the best time in history to build something of your own. 

Don’t waste it. Make it happen.

The post Manifesting Sounds Silly, But It’s Real appeared first on Darius Foroux.

You want to focus, but you keep getting sucked into nonsense. You know what you need to do, but you don’t do it.

A reader asked me:

“It is becoming difficult to maintain focus, concentration and discipline in terms of learning and studying for exams and for gaining knowledge in general.”

I agree. It’s getting harder to focus.

The reader also said that, “Certain advice such as “setting clear goals” and “breaking your work down in manageable chunks” have become cliche for students of my age, and they are not really helpful anymore.”

I agree once again. Self-improvement tips have been commoditized. Everyone is giving advice these days.

Let me give you my perspective on this topic. This is coming from personal experience.

1. Accept that focusing is hard

Most people think focus is about motivation. It’s not. It’s about endurance.

Focus isn’t easy because your mind will always seek comfort. But comfort is the enemy of results.

You have to be honest. Do you want to succeed at what you do?

Pay the price! And the price is hardship.

You have to embrace the pain of sitting with a tough problem, reading a difficult book, or studying when you don’t feel like it.

The first time I taught myself this process was while pursuing my graduate degree in Business Administration. When I had advanced math and econometrics for the first time, I just didn’t get it.

It was like looking at symbols to me. But I trained myself to sit with my books, make notes, think, and think again until I finally understood something. And I just kept going for hours on end.

Why? Simply because I wanted to finish what I started. Sometimes that’s the only motivation you need.

If you want to accomplish something, you should just keep going until you get some results. And never complain that it’s hard.

2. Throw away your phone when you focus

Seriously. Your phone is ruining your ability to think. Every time you check it, you’re training yourself to be distracted. You’re making it harder to concentrate for long periods.

The Stoic philosopher Seneca warned about wasting time: 

“While we are postponing, life speeds by.”

If you’re always scrolling, you’re losing time you’ll never get back. Technology is designed to pull you in. If you let it, it will control you.

When you sit down to work, put the phone in another room. Be ruthless about it. If you need to, use apps that block distractions or turn on airplane mode.

3. Focus on the next step, not the big picture

Look, I think everyone needs to have a bigger goal in life. Because that’s what keeps you going. For me, it was always financial independence. Now, it’s about teaching and writing. 

But when you’re overwhelmed, the big goal can make you freeze. Instead, focus on your next step.

Epictetus, another Stoic, put it best: 

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

Want to get better grades? Just start by reading one page. Want to write an essay? Just write one sentence. 

Don’t overcomplicate it. Take action now. Overthinking is a killer of focus. By shifting your focus to the smallest next step, you gain momentum, and momentum is everything.

4. Train your discipline like a muscle

Discipline is not something you have or don’t have—it’s something you build. Just like physical strength, mental strength grows through repetition and resistance.

• Challenge yourself daily with small, difficult tasks.
• Push through discomfort instead of avoiding it.
• Set clear boundaries for work and rest.
• Develop morning and evening routines that keep you grounded.
• Reward yourself after periods of deep focus to reinforce good habits.

Aristotle said, “Through discipline comes freedom.” The more you train yourself to do what must be done, the more control you’ll have over your focus and actions. 

If you consistently strengthen your ability to sit down and do the work, you will eventually become unstoppable.

5. Control your environment

This is the most important thing.

If you’re reading this and you want to only pick one of the things I’ve shared so far, pick this. Because it has a huge impact.

Here’s why: You are a product of your environment.

This is something I focus on the most because I know it matters most. If I’m surrounded by low-energy people who complain, I just don’t feel like doing anything. I become melancholic.

I’ve talked about this with my family and wife a lot. We need to make sure that we stay in a good mood, no matter how hard life is.

Because if you surround yourself with distractions, negativity, and bad habits, and people that drag you down, you will struggle to focus and stay disciplined.

• Clean up your workspace so it’s free from clutter.
• Spend time with people who are ambitious and always doing things.
• Listen to music that helps you concentrate or work in silence.
• Keep books, notebooks, and other study materials within easy reach.

Your surroundings either support your focus or destroy it. Choose wisely.

And take it seriously.

Focusing is getting harder every year

I can tell you from personal experience, it’s getting harder and harder to focus as time goes by. And that’s because of more…

• Opportunities
• Distractions
• Uncertainty
• Pressure

The world is designed to pull your attention in a million directions. That means you have to get stronger if you want to deal with it. 

As one of the first motivational speakers, Jim Rohn, said:

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.”

The world isn’t going to slow down for you. You have to become stronger and more focused if you want to win. 

So keep getting better!

The post Tips to Maintain Your Focus, Concentration, and Discipline appeared first on Darius Foroux.

I stalled last year. I got comfortable. I stuck to what I knew. And guess what? My energy dropped. My motivation faded. Everything started feeling a little… stale.

It was a familiar feeling.

After graduating from university, I also drifted for a few years, not really pushing myself, just going through the motions.

Then in 2015, I snapped out of it and got serious—writing, publishing, teaching, copywriting, investing. I was all in. Every day, I was developing new skills, improving, sharpening my mind.

But last year?

After my book came out and my finances were in great shape, I got complacent. Without even realizing it, I stopped learning. And I felt it.

No challenge, no progress—just a routine that looked good from the outside but felt stagnant on the inside.

Then AI got better. It wasn’t just a silly tool anymore; it was something real, something powerful, something that could change the way I work and think.

And suddenly, I was excited again. I wanted to learn how to use it, not just as a shortcut, but as a skill. I wanted to understand its capabilities, push its limits, and make it work for me.

Just like that, I was back.

Learning is supposed to be hard

Most people avoid learning because it makes them feel stupid. Nobody likes struggling. Nobody likes being a beginner. It’s easier to stick with what you know and keep doing things the way you’ve always done them. But that’s how you get stuck.

Marcus Aurelius put it perfectly:

“Practice even what seems impossible. The left hand is useless at almost everything, for lack of practice. But it guides the reins better than the right. From practice.”

That’s how all skills work. At first, you’re terrible. You fumble, you hesitate, and nothing feels natural. But if you keep showing up, if you keep putting in the reps, eventually, what once felt impossible becomes second nature.

The problem is, most people never make it that far. They quit as soon as it gets uncomfortable.

You always need a new challenge

Growth doesn’t happen by accident. If you don’t actively push yourself into new territory, you’ll stay exactly where you are.

So what’s your next challenge?

• Master persuasion—learn how to make people feel something with your words.
• Improve your thinking—train your mind to be sharper, faster, and more strategic.
• Learn AI—figure out how to work with it instead of fearing it.
• Become a better decision-maker—stop second-guessing and start acting with confidence.
• Build something real—start a business, create a product, or turn an idea into reality.

It doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as you’re learning something. Because once you stop learning, you stop growing. And once you stop growing, you start dying.

So—what new skill are you learning right now?

The post What New Skill Are You Learning Right Now? appeared first on Darius Foroux.