1) Concentration is a skill.

Like any skill, concentration can be learned, practiced, refined and perfected.

2) Identify your personal barriers.

Make a mental inventory of the reasons you have difficulty concentrating. Perhaps you have too much on your mind. Perhaps you’re worried about deadlines looming ahead of you. Or a tv set blaring in the background is distracting. Or perhaps you’re tired. The first step in improving your concentration is to remove as many of these barriers as possible.

3) Exercise your mind.

Just as you keep your body in shape through physical exercise, you can keep your mind in shape through intellectual exercise. Start out by selecting a relatively easy activity, like driving to work. Practice your concentration skills during the drive: focus on the speed and feel of the car as you drive, the scenery and passing vehicles you observe.

4) Take the pressure off yourself.

Fear of failure can prevent you from concentrating on a task; if the task isn’t complete, your performance won’t be “judged.” But ask yourself: isn’t the “judge ” of your performance often in your own mind? If the answer is “yes,” allow yourself to banish that internal censor and enjoy the sense of freedom and mastery that results.

5) To focus, observe a ritual.

Rituals are trivial routines, or even seemingly superstitious behavior that symbolize important rules or principles in your life. Pick a ritual and mentally associate it with concentration. When you need to focus your attention, follow the ritual. It will help you narrow your thoughts to the problem at hand.

6) Observe the “5-S” Principle.

The “5-S” principle is a time-tested technique you can use whenever your wish to absorb yourself in a project. It requires you to scan the activity, simplify the steps, proceed with speed, summarize what you completed and satisfy yourself with the outcome.

7) Take time to concentrate.

Pick a difficult task or two, Block out a set time period to complete those tasks, and spend that time only on them. Promise you’ll end the task when appointed hour is up. You’ll find yourself giving the task your undivided attention.

8) Find the right place.

If you can, schedule your task in a comfortable, stimulating location. Shut the door. Sit in the chair and posture that best helps you get started.

9) Be willing to test yourself.

By testing your concentration skills, you’ll gradually improve them. Every so often, while you’re in the middle of a task, pause and ask yourself a series of questions about the task. Use your imagination to develop your own self-imposed tests.

10) Don’t be afraid to meditate.

Scientists have learned that people who meditate often gain the ability to relax the body and focus attention on particular tasks at will. Concentration is not an elusive trait that comes and goes at random. It’s a tangible skill that allows you to harness the power of your mind.