Compartmentalise like Napoleon
âDifferent matters are arranged in my head," said Napoleon, "as in drawers; I open one drawer and close another as I wish. I have never been kept awake by an involuntary pre-occupation of the mind. If I desire repose, I shut up all the drawers, and sleep. I have always slept when I wanted rest, and almost at will."
Napoleon was a master at managing his thoughts and emotions. Even when everything around him began to crumble, he remained eerily calm. It's surprising to call such a man calm when he was also known for throwing fits of rage at his subordinates for missing any details. But this was the quality that made Napoleon one of the greatest.
He didnât possess these qualities because he was great; he was great because he had many such qualities. Compartmentalizing your thoughts is easier than you might think. People often mistake it for forgetting or ignoring the matter. It is anything but that; it is prioritizing the present. Napoleon was famous for his micromanagement. He could be at war and still write a letter to Paris about a petty crime. His ability to multitask was such that he would choose to bargain over Josephineâs bills amidst political negotiations on the battlefield.
This can only happen if you are aware of how your brain works. Your brain is an amazing machine with complex processes involved. Each and every thought of yours is triggered by emotions. If and when you understand that, like any other machinery, your brain too can be configured, you will know how to prioritize the issue at hand. You will naturally become hyper-focused.
When too many thoughts occupy your headspace, try to allocate an imaginative time when you will be free to address that âthought.â For example, you might decide to think about it in more detail at 10pm tonight, or during your commute, when you have enough time. You know the deadline for every thought. Some thoughts linger, and some are the leftovers from the previous dayâs arguments. Not every thought deserves your urgent attention.
If such a strategy was good enough for Napoleon, it can be good enough for you too.
Heightened focus requires you to streamline your thoughts without ignoring them. Donât bury them; instead, schedule a dedicated time to think about them. During that time, ask yourself: What can you do about this âthoughtâ? What are your regrets? What do you wish to do? Does it require another thinking session? Do this enough times, and your brain will start prioritizing things for you. Itâs an adaptable and highly efficient machine, after all.