From Chaos to Clarity: Identifying and Managing Everyday Distractions

Distractions… They’re the things that create distance between us and our goals, and today, there seem to be more distractions than ever before. Keeping them at bay begins with a real conversation about what they are and where they come from. Awareness is the key to everything, and with that in mind, here’s a list of common distractions we all face…

Our Phones: Between overly active text groups and overly addictive social media platforms, distraction is always at our fingertips, just a tap away. If we’re not careful to defend our time and energy, it can be easy to find ourselves pulled into this digital vortex. When the urge to take a peek starts to pull at your attention, remember where it has taken you in the past.

The Urgent vs. The Important: Just because there is a fire to be put out, it does not mean you’re the right person to put out that fire, or that the fire is the most important thing on your list. Often, what seems most urgent is a distraction disguised as something essential. Let the fire burn a bit, and it may just go out on its own – or someone else can put it out for you. Discernment is key, so choose wisely.

Inbox Overload: Step away from your email for a bit, and when you come back, inbox overload will attempt to hijack your attention. It doesn’t take long for the unread messages to stack up; the higher the stack gets, the more challenging it is to dig out. The worst part? A high percentage of those emails are… wait for it… junk. Unsubscribe wherever you can to minimize your inbox’s ability to keep you distracted.

Clutter: Sit down to a cluttered workspace, and knowing where to start your day can be hard. Simply cleaning up your space is an easy way to reduce the visual noise that can create chaos and distraction in our workday.

An Overpacked Calendar: Often, we say “yes” to more things than our calendar can accommodate. With time being the only truly limited resource, controlling what we say “yes” and “no” to is one of the most important skills we can learn. Looking at your calendar for the day, what is truly important, and what is a distraction from achieving your goals?

YouTube, Streaming, and TV: There’s always something to watch, and there are options everywhere when it comes to binging. That said, we need to be careful what we’re fueling our minds with and how much time we’re investing into a content diet that isn’t feeding our goals and ambitions. A little is fine… Too much is like a kid gorging on Halloween candy without self-control.

Call-to-Action

To be clear, there’s no magic solution in this list. As you read through it, you might think it’s all common sense, and you’d be right. But remember, common sense isn’t always common, and there’s a world of difference between knowing something and taking action. So, as you look at the list above, identify one or two areas where you’ll actively work to minimize your distractions, and witness the transformative power of your actions.