As babies, we learn to focus our eyes. As we grow, we learn to focus our hearing; for instance, to hear just  one conversation without being distracted by the background noise.

Why not learn to focus your mind in the same way? As Peter McWilliams describes in the hilarious Life 101: “You would have charge of your thoughts. You would not find yourself thinking about things you didn’t want to think about. Your mind would be directed, creative, and positive at all times.”

Great, say you, but how? Well, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science are actually coming up with some pretty practical tools for this.  One good starting point is Stephen Hayes’ excellent “Get Out Of Your Mind.” Another great insight into the mind’s tricks and traps is Barry Schwartz’ “Paradox Of Choice.”

Another series of tools come from meditation– you can think of meditation as a fitness program for your mind. The best primer I’ve come across (a witty, practical intro) is “Wherever You Go, There You Are” by John Kabat-Zinn.