Learning Challenges: Attention

From The Civil War, by Ken Burns. Image courtesy of Laura Gibbs, source.

I think the hardest part of learning for me is paying attention. I know myself and my abilities well enough to know how long something should take me. But, whenever I sit down to complete a task, I find it very easy to be sidetracked. Because of this, I relate to the above quote. There are some assignments where I spend as much time trying to pay attention as working on the assignment. The thing that helps me the most with this is making sure I'm interested in the subject material. Not caring about something is the most difficult hurdle to jump when working, in my opinion. Beyond that, if it is something that I have to do but don't want to, I find working in a group and the fear of public failure keeps me motivated enough to perform. If all else fails, coffee is the lifeblood that fuels dreams.