The ability to notice that we are getting anxious and to take steps to renew our focus rests on self-awareness. Such meta-cognition lets us keep our mind in the state best suited for the task at hand, whether algebraic equations, following a recipe, or haute couture. Whatever our best talents may be, self-awareness will help us display them at their peak. Of the many nuances and varieties of attention, two matter greatly for self-awareness. Selective attention lets us focus on one target and ignore everything else. Open attention lets us take in information widely in the world around us and the world within us, and pick up subtle cues we’d otherwise miss.
— Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (Daniel Goleman), Loc. 1165–70