In case you haven’t noticed, the Olympics are going on, and if you’ve been watching any of it, you can’t help but admire the intense focus of the athletes. Maybe you’re like me, after sitting on the couch for hours watching synchronized diving, equestrian cross country, women’s soccer, swimming, and gymnastics, you start thinking, if only I could be as focused as Leon Marchand. Imagine the records I could break!
Well, you can be, and all it takes is your iPhone. According to an interview with sport psychologist Ross Flowers by CNet, you don’t even need to download an app. CNet asked Flowers for a smartphone “hack anyone can do to start harnessing focus like a professional athlete,” and he suggested an exercise anyone can do, including me from the couch, without signing up for a high-priced fitness subscription. Here’s how. (I’ve rewritten Flowers’ exercise in steps to help you focus.)
- Take out your iPhone and unlock it.
- Stare at the Home screen for 10 seconds and memorize as many apps as possible.
- Write down what you remember and check the results.
When you’ve mastered your main Home screen, go to the next page, or “go to something larger.” (May I recommend this exercise with Launchpad on your Mac? ) Before you know it, you’ll be breaking records in the 400-meter individual medley.
Not to brag, but I aced this exercise the first time I tried it–I mean, sitting through a day’s worth of Olympics coverage already proves I can focus. But I aced this because I placed those apps on my Home screen in a specific order for a reason: I use them the most, so I’m quite familiar with them being there. Same with Launchpad on my Mac. The second page on my iPhone’s Home screen, however, is a jumbled mess that I’ll never figure out, much less memorize.
Seriously, if you’re as hooked on the Olympics as I am, this exercise is a fun thing to do during the commercial breaks. Once you’ve developed that laser-like focus, then you’re ready for the next step: lifelong physical training to become a world-class athlete. I wonder if there’s an app for that…
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.