In recent years, the influx of technology has blurred the lines between work and home, making us always available. Even 20 years ago, studies showed that constantly checking email at work had a more significant impact on IQ and concentration than cannabis. Participants in the study who broke off work and conversations to check emails reported scattered thoughts, lethargy, and a drop in IQ by an average of 10 points.

Years later, we are distracted not only by our emails but also by texts, Slack, instant messaging, and app notifications. The impact on our mental capacity is undeniable.

When we think we are multitasking, our brains jump from one task or train of thought to another, breaking our attention and focus each time. While we have the capacity to do this in the short term, it increases adrenaline and cortisol levels in our brains and reduces the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin. In other words, over time, we will feel more stressed and less happy, our sleep will suffer, and we will constantly search for stimuli to get that burst of adrenaline.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that the power to change is in our hands. If you want to improve your productivity and mental health, you need to improve your ability to concentrate. While the catastrophic effects of distraction are real, so are the benefits of focus.

When you can manage your time to focus on one task at a time, devote yourself to activities like deep reading and meditation, and block out constant distractions, it is the equivalent of a full night's sleep and a 10-point boost in your IQ. Your productivity and creativity will improve dramatically.

Because focus is such an integral part of personal and professional improvement and success, we have vetted and collected all of the best online book resources about focus. You have the power to change; this is a great place to start. When you join the Secrets of Success Movement, you will not only have access to the Atlas Research online book library with all of its resources on focus but you’ll also be able to join our online book club about focus.

Anytime you are trying to make improvements in your life, having a supportive group of like-minded peers is beneficial to encourage you and hold you accountable. Our mastermind community does just that.

On average, people check their phones every 12 minutes during waking hours, and 40% of people check their phones within five minutes of waking up. Instead of starting your day by scrolling through social media feeds or news headlines, start with motivational breakthroughs in our Secrets of Success newsletter, delivered each morning. When the inspiring ideas of one of our many authors are part of your morning routine, you’ll set yourself up for better choices and improved focus throughout the day.

If you want to improve your focus and productivity, books on focus from some of the most respected and influential authors in the field of success are a great place to start. Russell Brunson has a passion for books and self-improvement. As a self-proclaimed bibliophile, he has spent years reading and collecting some of the most influential books, manuscripts, magazines, and artifacts related to success, entrepreneurship, business, and focus. He has gathered wisdom from hundreds of works, and he will share the best of it through the Secrets of Success movement.

Here are some of the books and authors you’ll find among our online book resources about focus:

“Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz

“The self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment. It defines what you can and cannot do. Expand the self-image and you expand the ‘area of the possible.’ The development of an adequate, realistic self-image will seem to imbue the individual with new capabilities, new talents, and literally turn failure into success.”

The principles in “Psycho-Cybernetics” are the basis for the techniques taught by motivational leaders such as Brian Tracy and Tony Robbins. Trainers of elite athletes use the psychological methods of “Psycho-Cybernetics” to take their athlete’s performance to the next level as well. Maltz teaches readers how to leverage the mind-body connection to smash their personal and professional goals.

According to Maltz, what we call the subconscious mind isn’t as much a mind as it is a cybernetic mechanism built into the nervous system. Therefore, we can apply the principles of cybernetics to our own lives and goals and expect predictable results.

We set a conscious “goal,” primarily by visualization, and our body will move toward it, whether the goal is good or bad. If we focus on negative possibilities, our subconscious will accept that as the goal and move toward it. However, positive results will come when we have a strong positive vision of ourselves and what we can accomplish. Memory allows us to view past successes, and our mechanism repeats successful responses.

In short, what we focus on will become our reality.

“No BS Time Management for Entrepreneurs” by Dan Kennedy

“If you don’t know what your time is worth, you can’t expect the world to know it either.”

Time is your greatest asset as an entrepreneur, so you must spend it deliberately. Your success and the amount of money you make are directly related to your time use. You have no obligation to let others misuse your most valuable resource.

There are simple steps you can take to turn time into money, cheat time, prevent time-sucking vampires, and stop the “productive interruptions” that kill our focus and productivity. The first step is to know how much your time is worth and to treat it accordingly. Secondly, take advantage of delegation and OPC (other people’s customers) to spend your time only on what you are best at.

The next step is to stop time vampires–the creatures that will take all your time and suck you dry if you let them. Avoid meetings when possible and have a plan for getting out of them as quickly as possible. Don’t get derailed by coworkers asking, “Have you got a minute?” Only deal with the most pressing questions.

Most importantly, for entrepreneurs wanting to improve their focus, Kennedy teaches you how to create a “time fortress” protected from the distracting incursions of texts, emails, and phone calls. He gives you permission to free yourself from the need to always answer the phone, respond to an email, or check your texts. Schedule your time, stick with it, and refuse to be derailed.

When you are visible, be busy and be obvious about it. There is no such thing as managing time—you can only manage your actions and interactions with others around you. There is no secret hidden key to success; successful people are deliberate with their time and, therefore, operate at peak productivity.

“The Art of Exceptional Living” by Jim Rohn

“For things to change, you have to change.”

Jim Rohn is best known for inspiring the likes of Tony Robbins and Les Brown and being one of the most well-known and influential public speakers. Rohn challenges readers to focus more on themselves than on their jobs. We cannot always change our circumstances, but we can change ourselves; that is where happiness and success come from.

We shouldn’t wish for fewer problems; we should work to develop more skills. Instead of wishing away our challenges, we should seek more wisdom. Success isn’t something we pursue; it is something we become as we change who we are.

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments. The path to success isn’t a secret; it is a few simple disciplines practiced every day, while failure is the opposite–a few errors in judgment are repeated each day.

Our path to success can start at any point in our lives, and success is as much a journey as it is a destination. You don’t have to be wildly creative or uniquely talented to live an exceptional life—you just have to do ordinary things exceptionally well. You have the power to take ownership of your life and craft a life of purpose and beauty through self-education and discipline.