# How I Fixed My Attention Span - Author: **Answer in Progress** - [URL link](https://youtube.com/watch?v=vYaNiC4kchg&si=TJOkRcnduMeAnVtI)  ## Highlights - One, attention and focus are different things. Attention is a broad concept that boils down to our general awareness. While focus is one process that controls that awareness, concentrating it on something specific. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j0rqfhmf6w79jq52j8c75ejt)) --- - focus is a limited and exhaustible resource. So you can only really focus on one thing at a time, and your ability to do that will tire out the further you get from rest. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j0rqg4h7kg2yen738bqzf9v6)) --- - focus also filters out distractions. The more there are, the more of your focus is being wasted. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j0rqgek43gbgdw62762eafke)) --- - the pop science and productivity books I read emphasized cutting out distractions and building walls in your space and schedule to protect your focus. This is straightforward in concept, but really difficult to maintain if you have a lot of responsibilities that are outside of your control. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j0rrdrx0scqp2qb7xabane76)) --- - the mindfulness approach targets your focus directly, cultivating it to be easier to command and resilient to distractions. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j0rree15q32k4hb8chk5nmw3)) --- - This forms a sort of spectrum, where you either reshape your environment to restore your attention, or reinforce your attention to endure the world. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j0rrep8en4at6e94ysa9hem9)) --- - the average person like you or I can never fully control our environments, and the supports we use to try are shockingly fragile. So if they break, when they break, all we're left with is our core ability to focus. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j0rrg8x41jc5qey2ckektb2v)) ---