I guess quite a lot of my instruction may have been 'idiosyncratic'.
The way I was instructed, focus on the breath isn't a 'goal', it's a sort of home-base - where you come back to when you notice thoughts (or physical pain, or whatever - it's all 'thoughts'). I was told not to approach it with a goal, and not to look for signs of 'success'.
I think the results differ, even for what appears to be exactly the same practice, depending on your attitude.
The way I was instructed, focus on the breath isn't a 'goal', it's a sort of home-base - where you come back to when you notice thoughts (or physical pain, or whatever - it's all 'thoughts'). I was told not to approach it with a goal, and not to look for signs of 'success'.
I think the results differ, even for what appears to be exactly the same practice, depending on your attitude.