How to Pay Attention When You Are Confused
Keep your eyes on the ball or the road; on the speaker at work, the subject at school or wherever--in the game--on the sales floor; don't stare., Nod positively., Develop the jigsaw of bits that you understand into the big picture like a puzzle...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep your eyes on the ball or the road; on the speaker at work
Get in the zone, like an athlete who can't miss, in an altered state of consciousness.
A synonymous phrase is "altered states of awareness" or "altered state of mind"...
It can be associated with your creativity: artistic efforts or the reveries of the inspired engineer.So be in a state of creative effort in your area of study or work.
Be on the edge of your seat; lean slightly toward the speaker; be ready to learn and to make your inputs.
Get each and every piece of the puzzle and every phrase; understand each clause and sentence, and eventually fit it all together.
The goal is to get the picture; see the panoramic picture by finding and getting the bits of the picture all together in your life and in studies and your short term and long term goals. -
Step 2: the subject at school or wherever--in the game--on the sales floor; don't stare.
Shake your head "Yes!" in class during lecture and class discussion or when hearing, reading and understanding a small point; it's all the small matters that form the whole subject; so work to understand each detail.
Of course the wide view is equally important for seeing how it fits and to understanding--not to learn by rote (not by memorizing).
The goal is to understand, not just to memorize nonsense (as it might seem without a better understanding). , Concepts are to understand...
But, memorizing rules, axioms, postulates, identities, concepts, history and definitions must be mastered, and then applied and manipulated in math and science, even details of history, foreign language, spelling or grammar, etc. must be mastered by memorizing and then applying them. , Many things like 1000 piece puzzles are not like a snap of your fingers--a subject to learn is like a big, new puzzle--but it is based on what you've done before and what you already know and built up.
That is of course why there are fundamentals to never forget and review as you advance...
You will begin to put the ideas together.
Develop the small bits understood into the big picture like a jigsaw puzzle. , Every move of a snow boarder or skier is a risk and a challenge.
A great athlete is on the edge; s/he knows what the other people are doing.
So it is in your career, your art, your studying, your teaching, and your business: be there--on top of it.
At the top of your game. , If you did not have this ability get in the zone to some degree, you might otherwise go nuts from emotional or sensory overload., Keep your eye on the "ball" in sports or in keeping up with what people are doing in any competitive activity or business.
Well in class, that means listen to the teacher and to the students who are participating. , Build on the things that make sense, be glad when you understand. ,"
"That's the idea!" or "You got it!" and "That's how to do (I did) it!" or "Sharp idea!" -
Step 3: Nod positively.
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Step 4: Develop the jigsaw of bits that you understand into the big picture like a puzzle.
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Step 5: Decide to puzzle-it-out; make your way through the maze...
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Step 6: Get in a habit of devoting time and mind-power: meet your own expectations that you will think
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Step 7: listen actively and read actively with total concentration like an extreme-athlete concentrates on the dangerous moves.
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Step 8: Be interested: Avoid getting bored: so don't study the cracks in the floor tiles
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Step 9: or the grain patterns of the door or woodwork
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Step 10: or analyze the speaker's accent; that's called "spacing out" a form of dissociation...Some people appear to use milder forms of spacing out (but not when you need to listen and be aware of other people) as a strategy to get by under stress to avoid being overwhelmed.
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Step 11: Purposely pay close attention to whomever has the floor.
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Step 12: Smile and do a thumbs-up like when you understand a step in reading or listening
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Step 13: like getting an answer to a question.
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Step 14: Say affirmations like "Okay
Detailed Guide
Get in the zone, like an athlete who can't miss, in an altered state of consciousness.
A synonymous phrase is "altered states of awareness" or "altered state of mind"...
It can be associated with your creativity: artistic efforts or the reveries of the inspired engineer.So be in a state of creative effort in your area of study or work.
Be on the edge of your seat; lean slightly toward the speaker; be ready to learn and to make your inputs.
Get each and every piece of the puzzle and every phrase; understand each clause and sentence, and eventually fit it all together.
The goal is to get the picture; see the panoramic picture by finding and getting the bits of the picture all together in your life and in studies and your short term and long term goals.
Shake your head "Yes!" in class during lecture and class discussion or when hearing, reading and understanding a small point; it's all the small matters that form the whole subject; so work to understand each detail.
Of course the wide view is equally important for seeing how it fits and to understanding--not to learn by rote (not by memorizing).
The goal is to understand, not just to memorize nonsense (as it might seem without a better understanding). , Concepts are to understand...
But, memorizing rules, axioms, postulates, identities, concepts, history and definitions must be mastered, and then applied and manipulated in math and science, even details of history, foreign language, spelling or grammar, etc. must be mastered by memorizing and then applying them. , Many things like 1000 piece puzzles are not like a snap of your fingers--a subject to learn is like a big, new puzzle--but it is based on what you've done before and what you already know and built up.
That is of course why there are fundamentals to never forget and review as you advance...
You will begin to put the ideas together.
Develop the small bits understood into the big picture like a jigsaw puzzle. , Every move of a snow boarder or skier is a risk and a challenge.
A great athlete is on the edge; s/he knows what the other people are doing.
So it is in your career, your art, your studying, your teaching, and your business: be there--on top of it.
At the top of your game. , If you did not have this ability get in the zone to some degree, you might otherwise go nuts from emotional or sensory overload., Keep your eye on the "ball" in sports or in keeping up with what people are doing in any competitive activity or business.
Well in class, that means listen to the teacher and to the students who are participating. , Build on the things that make sense, be glad when you understand. ,"
"That's the idea!" or "You got it!" and "That's how to do (I did) it!" or "Sharp idea!"
About the Author
Natalie Flores
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow cooking tutorials.
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