Two million years ago, humanity evolved a highly developed nervous system, gaining remarkable perception and cognitive abilities. However, this evolutionary gift also brought negative consequences, such as being troubled by information overload, suffering from desires, or feeling anxious about a lack of ability. This is similar to modern people who, despite material wealth, are often restless due to phone distractions, struggling to master desired skills, or achieve their desired lives. Lower animals, on the other hand, do not have these worries; their attention is limited to intuitive information directly related to their survival in their environment. Thus, while enjoying the advantages of evolution, we also bear its burdens. Fortunately, some individuals have found an effective behavioral pattern that allows them to maintain their emotions and abilities in a relatively peaceful and efficient state, as if grasping the safety hilt of evolution’s “double-edged sword.” While many still clumsily wield the blade, harming themselves, these individuals have learned to skillfully use the hilt to forge their way.
The fundamental difference in human emotions and abilities lies in the way attention is controlled. For example, meditators are better able to actively focus their attention on their breathing and feelings, shielding distractions, compared to those with scattered attention. The same is true for capable individuals; their advantage lies in their ability to actively block out distractions, select necessary information, and immerse themselves fully. They even deliberately practice focusing in noisy environments, thereby cultivating the ability to enter a state of deep reading and thinking anytime, anywhere. It is this difference in the ability to immerse oneself that ultimately places humans at different levels. Generally speaking, those with a strong ability to immerse themselves tend to be in dominant positions. If we wish to stand out from the crowd, we must consciously cultivate this quality.
“Actively selecting information” is the beginning of “deep immersion,” but the real key lies in the latter. Those who can actively select information may not necessarily be able to immerse themselves in it. Therefore, many people, even if they put down their phones, pick up books, work hard, and even move themselves with their efforts, still struggle to become exceptional. It’s like finding the safety hilt but not knowing how to grip it. There are many people who can focus, but few who are truly outstanding, and one of the reasons is the lack of the ability for deep immersion. However, acquiring the ability for deep immersion is not just about enthusiasm; it is a technique with its own methodology. Psychologists and scientists, through extensive research, have pointed out that so-called “genius” is not mysterious; its essence is “the right method” plus “a large amount of practice.” The reason we haven’t become as exceptionally talented as “geniuses” is often because our methods are wrong or we haven’t practiced enough. The so-called “right method” usually has the following four characteristics:
I. Clear Goals: For example, when practicing the piano, the goal is to “play the piece three times in a row without any mistakes at the appropriate speed,” rather than “practice the piano for half an hour.” The clearer the goal, the more focused the attention, and the faster the skill improves. If the goal is too large, it can be broken down into more specific smaller goals.
II. Extreme Focus: Investing 100% of your energy for a short period is more effective than investing 70% for a longer time. The motivation for focus lies in constantly discovering subtle differences in techniques and sustained points of attention. When the brain learns, it operates in focused and diffuse modes. The focused mode concentrates on processing information, while the diffuse mode allows neurons to connect randomly when the mind is relaxed, generating new ideas. Therefore, the key to efficient learning is to first maintain extreme focus, and when encountering difficulties, temporarily shift attention to something completely different.
III. Effective Feedback: We need feedback to accurately understand our shortcomings. Guidance from a coach or criticism from a teacher are both effective forms of feedback. Practicing behind closed doors can easily lead to distraction and make it difficult to improve. Therefore, actively seeking timely and effective guidance and feedback is crucial.
IV. Practice in the Stretch Zone: Repeating what you already know is meaningless, while tackling tasks that are too difficult can be frustrating. The ideal state lies in between. Choosing tasks that are slightly challenging but achievable through effort (i.e., the “stretch zone”) makes it easier to enter a state of flow and achieve deep immersion.
We have all had the experience of being engrossed in something we love. However, to achieve success, we cannot rely on this unstable spontaneous state but must establish stable behavioral patterns, bravely face core difficulties, and place ourselves in the “stretch zone.” By following the above four points, we can build a proactive immersion behavioral pattern and internalize it as a core ability, thereby influencing all aspects of life.