That’s the phrase I hear running through my mind every time I set my desire to do something, and find myself getting distracted.

This too is the phrase I remember hearing the Drama Director shout when I kept messing up my theatrical lines in the production “Spunk” while in graduate school at Lehigh University.

“Focus People Focus!”

This is the phrase that I want to tattoo on your mind, for it is the root cause for low academic performance and sub par school grades. It’s also the foundational reason successful people are successful – they know HOW to focus.

With so may things going on in our society, with access to so many resources, with varying life responsibilities, and not to name all this twitter, facebook, and youtube stuff on the internet (in which I’m all on), FOCUS can be challenging for the common student.

Whether you are a high school student, a college student, online student, or an adult student raising a family while working a full-time job I have something for you.

Before I give you these essential ways to focus better while studying, here are few motivators to support my claims:

• “When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on them. Few if any of us can write one thought and think another at the same time. Thus a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools.” – Michael Leboeuf

• “One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” - Anthony Robbins

• “If you stay focused and right on track, you will get to where you want to be.” – Michelle C. Ustaszeski

• “The sun’s energy warms the world. But when you focus it through a magnifying glass it can start a fire. Focus is so powerful!” – Alan Pariser

Let me say this, as an academic success speaker who speaks to students at educational events, youth conferences and college events, and run an online internet business, lead a family, and author books – FOCUS sometimes is still a challenge for me, but as I reflect back, FOCUS has produced some great things in my life pertaining to my own academic success and still does today – and will for you too.

If you have issues  staying focused while studying, do this:

1 – State Your Desired Goal

When you go into any study session, if it’s at home alone, on campus at the library, or in a group session – state your goals. At the beginning of your study time, write down what you desire to accomplish during this study time. (It may seem nerdish, but the group will love you for it too)

2 – Set a Time Frame for Intentional Focus

When you make a decision to study your school work, set a specific alloted time to focus. On purpose write down, ”For the next _____ Minutes I focus on______ only.” By writing this down, this helps you to stick to the desired goal at hand and it triggers your mind to be intentional.

3 – Declare Your Reward  for Intentional Focus

Rewarding yourself is a great motivator for focusing for a set period of time. For example, you can reward yourself by simply taking 10 minutes to enjoy something you love… playing a video game, talking to your bf, chatting on the internet, eating ice cream, or whatever you desire. The key is to make sure your compensation is relative to what you achieved. After you reward yourself, then get back to focusing.

4 – Turn Off All Distractions

This seems obvious right? But i have found that distractions are the #1 enemy to you accomplishing any goal, and our goal is to focus on the school assignment. Therefore turn it all off…the TV, the iPod, the stereo, the cell phone, the internet, the tweets, the pokes, the video games, everything. Even go so far to let your family, friends, and classmates know. “For the next ______ minutes, I need to  completely focus on studying so leave me a message or I will get with you at later specific time.” (That a great voice mail greeting or facebook status)

5 – Remove Clutter and Keep Things Clean

Dr. Laurence J. Peter once said, “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?”

By simply cleaning your work area or study area it allows your mind to be clear, which will also eliminate distractions.

6 – Gather Only the Resources You Need For Studying

This is self explanatory but I must stress to only have in front of you everything that you need for one specific subject. If it doesn’t relate with the class you are studying for, remove it completely from your study area.

Want more info on how to properly create a study area then click here. If you want to see the two main reasons for the bed, then watch this video, cause studying is not one of them.

7 – Read Through All Your Written Notes From Beginning to End

To maximize most of your study sessions, start from the beginning reading all of your study notes aloud, and highlight the areas that you will need to spend more intentional focus time on. Make sure you don’t stop but continue to move forward with your notes, then review those trouble areas.

7.25 – Read Textbooks and  Other Resources, Work Problems, and Review All Notes To Enhance Comprehension

Here’s where you spend the majority of your study time. After doing the above 7 steps with discipline, you will find that as you go through this step your retention of information will be better, because you are now completely zoned in.

As a follow up to this article, I will give you some ways to better focus while in class. Until then you can see here for more study tips, from note taking, reading, listening in class and even how to properly C.R.A.M.

As I echo my Drama Director. “Focus People Focus!”

1. Set Your Academic Goals and Review Them Everyday

Dreams don’t come true – Goals do. Before next summer rolls around again, what academic goals do you want to achieve?

Set academic goals to achieve, write them down and post them in a place where you can look at them everyday. You should first sit down with your family and discuss the desired goal and then set your academic goals. Make those goals positive, personal, and in the present. Then, write down your goals and make them visible in four key places: (1) the bedroom, (2) the bathroom, (3) the kitchen, and (4) in your notebooks.

Click here for a MP3 download on how to set and achieve academic goals.

2. Develop a Daily Routine

Now that you have determined your goals you must develop a plan to achieve them. Come up with a systematic routine that you can follow every day to achieve your goals and write it down. Include necessities like breakfast time, dinnertime, fun time, chore time, sleep time, social time and of course study time. Remember, when you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

3. Study During Peak Performance Time

Identify the period of day when you are most alert or “wired up” outside of school. This should be the time YOU study. Traditionally, the pattern for *study time* has been right after you get home and change out of your school clothes or right before dinnertime. (Remember school clothes, church clothes, and play clothes?). After spending 6-9 hours in school, it may be wise to incorporate naptime or refresher-time before studying. Studies have shown that students perform poorly when they are mentally tired, drained or unfocused. Whatever time you are most alert outside of school, make that your study time. I guarantee you will see an increase in academic performance.

4. Schedule Weekly Family Chat Sessions

Make sure you have weekly family chat sessions or what I like to  call Family Love Sessions. Take this time to discuss school crushes, fashion trends, music, insecurities, and future plans. Family is a key element to achieving your goals because they will assist you when you need it. This is also a great time to develop better relationships. (An alternative to this is setting time with a mature friend, mentor or adviser).

5. Change the Flashing 12:00 on Your VCR

You should already know that television can steal your time and productivity. You do not have to stop watching television in order to achieve your academic goals but watching during your peak performance time can hinder your progress. So brush the dust off your VCR or learn how to use a DVR and watch your favorite shows during your non-peak performing times. Use all the new technology to your benefit and don’t ever allow television to steal the precious hours you have available during the day.

6. Isolate Your Study Chamber and Keep It Holy

The kitchen has a specific purpose, the bathroom has a specific purpose, and your study chamber has a specific purpose. You should not eat dinner in the bathroom and you should not shower in the kitchen. There are also things you should not do in your study chamber. Your study chamber should be a specific location where only one thing happens – STUDYING.

Click here to get a few tips on setting up and establishing a productive study chamber.

7. Uncover all Fears and Stinking Thinking

Believe it or not, FEAR is the one thing that can destroy academic performance. Most term it “anxiety” and as a student you experience it during tests, when you are embarrassed around your classmates or when you feel unprepared. Despite setting goals and studying, FEAR can completely destroy your efforts. It can also cause you to become unfocused and think that you will fail and not reach your goals. Always remember this, FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real – FEAR is not real. Whenever you experience anxiety or may be fearful, remember you do not have to, because failure is only appearing to be real, it is fake. So in school or in life, never FEAR!

7.25 Declare Your Greatness

Your mouth has the power to create so establish positive confessions and declare them aloud daily. Since our words frame how we think and feel, say only the best. Don’t commit academic goal suicide by speaking negative words, thinking negative thoughts, and having negative feelings. Talk your way to achieving your goals.

Feel free to share and forward this to your friends and colleagues.  Leave me a comment below, and let me know what you got from this article.

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Kantis Simmons is an Academic Success Coach that help college students and high school students stay in school, enjoy school and pay for school. With his 7.25 Academic Success System, he presents live presentations to students and parents. Acclaimed for earning 3 degrees and more that $300,000 of scholarship money, Kantis can be reached at http://www.KantisSimmons.com. If you want more academic advise to help you or someone you know succeed in school, subscribe to get his FREE “Gameplan” newsletter and instantly get a 7-Day academic success E-course FREE.

——————————————–

1. Set Your Academic Goals and Review Them Everyday

Dreams don’t come true – Goals do. Before next summer rolls around again, what academic goals do you want to achieve?

Set academic goals to achieve, write them down and post them in a place where you can look at them everyday. You should first sit down with your family and discuss the desired goal and then set your academic goals. Make those goals positive, personal, and in the present. Then, write down your goals and make them visible in four key places: (1) the bedroom, (2) the bathroom, (3) the kitchen, and (4) in your notebooks.

Click here for a MP3 download on how to set and achieve academic goals.

2. Develop a Daily Routine

Now that you have determined your goals you must develop a plan to achieve them. Come up with a systematic routine that you can follow every day to achieve your goals and write it down. Include necessities like breakfast time, dinnertime, fun time, chore time, sleep time, social time and of course study time. Remember, when you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

3. Study During Peak Performance Time

Identify the period of day when you are most alert or “wired up” outside of school. This should be the time YOU study. Traditionally, the pattern for *study time* has been right after you get home and change out of your school clothes or right before dinnertime. (Remember school clothes, church clothes, and play clothes?). After spending 6-9 hours in school, it may be wise to incorporate naptime or refresher-time before studying. Studies have shown that students perform poorly when they are mentally tired, drained or unfocused. Whatever time you are most alert outside of school, make that your study time. I guarantee you will see an increase in academic performance.

4. Schedule Weekly Family Chat Sessions

Make sure you have weekly family chat sessions or what I like to  call Family Love Sessions. Take this time to discuss school crushes, fashion trends, music, insecurities, and future plans. Family is a key element to achieving your goals because they will assist you when you need it. This is also a great time to develop better relationships. (An alternative to this is setting time with a mature friend, mentor or adviser).

5. Change the Flashing 12:00 on Your VCR

You should already know that television can steal your time and productivity. You do not have to stop watching television in order to achieve your academic goals but watching during your peak performance time can hinder your progress. So brush the dust off your VCR or learn how to use a DVR and watch your favorite shows during your non-peak performing times. Use all the new technology to your benefit and don’t ever allow television to steal the precious hours you have available during the day.

6. Isolate Your Study Chamber and Keep It Holy

The kitchen has a specific purpose, the bathroom has a specific purpose, and your study chamber has a specific purpose. You should not eat dinner in the bathroom and you should not shower in the kitchen. There are also things you should not do in your study chamber. Your study chamber should be a specific location where only one thing happens – STUDYING.

Click here to get a few tips on setting up and establishing a productive study chamber.

7. Uncover all Fears and Stinking Thinking

Believe it or not, FEAR is the one thing that can destroy academic performance. Most term it “anxiety” and as a student you experience it during tests, when you are embarrassed around your classmates or when you feel unprepared. Despite setting goals and studying, FEAR can completely destroy your efforts. It can also cause you to become unfocused and think that you will fail and not reach your goals. Always remember this, FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real – FEAR is not real. Whenever you experience anxiety or may be fearful, remember you do not have to, because failure is only appearing to be real, it is fake. So in school or in life, never FEAR!

7.25 Declare Your Greatness

Your mouth has the power to create so establish positive confessions and declare them aloud daily. Since our words frame how we think and feel, say only the best. Don’t commit academic goal suicide by speaking negative words, thinking negative thoughts, and having negative feelings. Talk your way to achieving your goals.

Feel free to share and forward this to your friends and colleagues.  Leave me a comment below, and let me know what you got from this article.

——————————————–

Kantis Simmons is an Academic Success Coach that help college students and high school students stay in school, enjoy school and pay for school. With his 7.25 Academic Success System, he presents live presentations to students and parents. Acclaimed for earning 3 degrees and more that $300,000 of scholarship money, Kantis can be reached at http://www.KantisSimmons.com. If you want more academic advise to help you or someone you know succeed in school, subscribe to get his FREE “Gameplan” newsletter and instantly get a 7-Day academic success E-course FREE.

——————————————–

For more on this subject matter of taking notes, see  http://playingyouragame.com/note-taking

If you think about most of your day, the majority of your time is  spent listening. Listening to your professor…listening to a lecture… and listening to the class conversation. Listening consumes most, if not all, of your day in the classroom.

So how effective are your listening skills? For more infor about visit: http://playingyouragame.com/listening-skills

I just recently shot a crazy video, giving you a sneek peak on some of the things I listen to:

If you can not see the above video, you can also see it on youtube, vimeo, or blip.

Today I had the opportunity to spend time with friend and author G. Clarice on Inspire Me radio.  She asked me  to tell my story about my “mess” as a child and how I used that to not only lead to success but use it to empower other students.

This powerful conversation lead us to talk greatly on overcoming adversity as student.

You can tune in at your leisure at Blog Talk Radio by visitng www.blogtalkradio.com/inspiremeradio.  

Inspire Me Radio – Kantis Simmons

Interrupting my deep thoughts, the phone rings……….(and I awake from my dream).

Listen to the conversation I had on the phone that afternoon. Unlike my dream, this interview was not with Oprah, but with “The Career Guy”, Justin Driscoll.

CLICK HERE TO Listen to my interview with Justin Driscoll.

Also check out Justin Driscoll’s new book – ”7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Graduating.”