Focus Myths
📋 What it is
Common myths — "just try harder", "multitasking is efficient", "I work better last-minute" — don’t match the science.
🗣️ Coach says
A lot of "focus advice" is wrong. Trying harder can’t expand a fixed working memory (strategies can). Multitasking feels fast but each switch costs time. Last-minute cramming feels intense but fades fast versus spacing. Spotting these myths protects you from advice that quietly wastes your effort.
🧠 Memory hook
Myth-bust: "try harder" < strategies · multitasking is slower · cramming fades vs spacing.
😂 Giggle
I'm reading a book about focus.
I keep putting it down, though — something else always catches my eye.
😲 Whoa!
Only about 2.5% of people are true "supertaskers" who can multitask well — for everyone else it just slows things down.
✅ Quick check: True or false: multitasking gets more done faster.
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
False — switching between tasks adds hidden restart costs, so it’s usually slower.
Task-switching has a real cost; single-tasking is faster for almost everyone.
🪄 Trick question: Is "I just need to try harder to focus" always the right fix?
Careful — think it through, then reveal.
No — often the fix is a STRATEGY (offload, break it down, remove distractions), not more strain.
Willpower can’t expand fixed limits; the right strategy usually can.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Catch one "focus myth" you or a friend believes and replace it with the science-backed version.