#165: How to Become Better at Focusing with Dr. Pedram Shojai

In our unpredictable and continually changing world, we are constantly in a state of figuring out how to create a happy life, which means tending to the needs of our health, career, family and friends, passions, and desires. Unfortunately, time never seems to be on our side, and, if anything, often it seems out of our control. But what if it wasn't? What if you had the ability to take control of how you trade your energy for time and knew how to increase your body's "energy budget" to live your fullest life? On today’s Broken Brain Podcast, our host Dhru talks to Dr. Pedram Shojai, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Master Herbalist, and Acupuncturist. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Urban Monk, and The Art of Stopping Time, and the founder of whole.tv and Well.org. He is an acclaimed Qi Gong Master and Taoist Abbot with a practical approach to modern living, using Eastern thinking and practices to help himself and others overcome the Westernized challenges of everyday life and to wake up and live their lives fully. His latest book, Focus: Bringing Time, Energy, and Money into Flow, was just released and is about bringing your attention in line with your intention to get the life you want.  In this episode, Dhru and Pedram talk about how to find focus and make meaningful change to create the life we desire, how to balance doing versus being, and why saying “no” and setting boundaries is so important. They discuss what Pedram refers to as “life gardens” and the importance of how we tend to them. They also talk about how the pandemic has forced us, as a society to halt, and why this is such a crucial time to evaluate our lives and hit reset. In this episode, we dive into: -Pedram’s goal setting technique and why it’s so successful (11:46)-How to make a life plan and stick to it (15:20)-Common things that are pulling our attention away from being able to focus (17:58)-How daily meditation can help with attention and focus (21:03)-How Pedram maintains his focus throughout the day, and what he does when his attention gets off track (24:38)-How modern technology is dividing us, and how we are letting the inputs of the world influence us (36:18)-How Pedram became a monk and why he ended up leaving the monastery (37:24) -Breaking expectations that others have of you and the importance of setting boundaries (54:59)-Where you can learn more about Dr. Pedram Shojai (1:00:55) For more on Dr. Pedram Shojai you can follow him on Instagram @official_urbanmonk, on Facebook @PedramShojaiUrbanMonk, on Twitter @PedramShojai, and through his website https://www.theurbanmonk.com. Get his new book, “Focus: Bringing Time, Energy, and Money into Flow,” at https://www.theurbanmonk.com/my-work-new/.Also mentioned in this episode:-The Urban Monk Academy - https://www.theurbanmonk.com/academy-new/-Meditation and Qi Gong Presentation - 2014 Bulletproof Conference - https://youtu.be/5z8qDEHSzPAFor more on Dhru Purohit, be sure to follow him on Instagram @dhrupurohit, on Facebook @dhruxpurohit, on Twitter @dhrupurohit, and on YouTube @dhrupurohit. You can also text Dhru at (302) 200-5643 or click here https://my.community.com/dhrupurohit.Interested in joining Dhru’s Broken Brain Podcast Facebook Community? Submit your request to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2819627591487473/.This episode is brought to you by the Pegan Shake.How you start your morning sets the tone for the day. I’m a huge fan of morning routines, because I think they can transform your ability to focus, sleep well, and get the most out of your day, especially in this busy, modern world. What I’ve found is that the best way to begin your day is to feed your body the right information or the right nutrients. That’s why Dr. Mark Hyman and I created the Pegan Shake. It’s a nutritionally-packed morning blend designed to support healthy blood sugar, energy, and brain power.  It contains some of my most favorite brain boosting foods like MCT and avocado. It also features acacia fiber for healthy gut function and collagen, pumpkin, and pea protein to support muscle synthesis. Check it out at getfarmacy.com/peganshake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.