The average person loses his or her attention span every 6 to 10 seconds. It seems in our present form we are a pretty scatter-brained organism.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. In fact this statistic applies to people who do nothing to focus their attention (and therefore their intention). Individuals who practice meditation and related exercises on a regular basis can hold their focus for extended periods of time.

Some people are naturally able to focus better than the rest of us. But for the majority, it takes work and determination to improve our attention spans and the power of our focused intention.

There are two very basic meditation exercises that can help you focus your mind sharper and longer.

The first is the basic breathing meditation. Sit in a relaxed position, allow the tension to fall away from your shoulders and hips, and focus your mind on your breath.

Do not attempt to control your breathing in any way. Just be aware of the air flowing into and out of your lungs. Observe for several minutes without interfering with the motion of your lungs.

When thoughts wander into your mind, just acknowledge them and return your attention to your breath. Doing this for several minutes a day will improve your attention span tremendously.

Another exercise you can perform is object meditation. Find a crystal, a candle flame, or anything else and, sitting in a quiet place, watch this object intently.

Relax your mind and focus your full attention on all details of this object. Allow your eyes to follow the contours of the crystal’s surface, or to watch the flame as it flickers and moves.

As thoughts enter your awareness, simply let them go and return to your observations. Doing this for a few minutes each day will do wonders for your ability to focus and direct your intention.

And as you get better at focusing, you can bring more power and intensity into your visualization practices, thus manifesting your desires more easily.

It has been said that many people in our world live not in the present moment, but in a past that is forever gone or in a future that doesn’t yet exist. How true this is!

It is so easy to dwell on past events and daydream about future possibility. In fact we seem wired to do so excessively.

While this sort of thinking has its place and value, ancient wisdom from many cultures teaches us that true power and joy reside in the present moment. To really live an exciting, empowering existence, we must embrace the now!

Let’s keep this simple: Doing your best to live in the present moment as it actually occurs is the key to fulfillment.

You will be amazed at how much more energy you have, how much more creative you are, and how much more excited about life you become when you engage the simple practice of paying attention to what is happening within and around you right now. And you can start practicing this mindfulness right away!

You don’t need to learn any special techniques, read any new books, or get anybody’s permission to start being as present and aware as you possibly can on a moment by moment basis. I invite you to devote one full week to the study of the moment.

For seven days make an honest effort to be continually aware of where you are and what you are doing. When you catch yourself reliving the past or daydreaming about the future, immediately return your focus to the here and now.

Of course you can still practice your visualizations, and you will likely find they are more vivid when you have been striving to maintain the moment all day.

Give this a shot, and have some fun in the process. After your first week, I expect you’ll want to continue this process for the rest of your life.

*(While I don’t believe past, present, and future can be fully seperated, for purposes of our conscious observation the forward progression of time is a reasonable assumption.)