We Have Two Choices When Dealing with Distraction
Eliminate them or turn them into something positive.
Staying on task can be challenging. The difficultly is that the interruptions-in-waiting are everywhere.
A distraction is a little like a pin hovering over a balloon filled with water (our creative flow). If the balloon moves towards the pin, or we allow the pin to keep moving closer, at some point, it will pierce the skin. The balloon will pop, and you’ll be left with a huge mess to clean up.
You can, of course, replace the water, but you’ll lose the original flow. You’ll be starting over.
There’s an easy solution, though. If you don’t want your balloon to pop, remove the pin, i.e. eliminate the distraction.
Self Control Isn’t the Issue
To say we get distracted because we have no self-control isn’t strictly true. For the most part, it’s a myth. We get distracted because we surround ourselves with things that can easily divert our attention. Phones, a messy desk, snacks; they always look more attractive when we let them be.
“Starve your distractions, feed your focus” — Unknown.
We Want It Because It’s There
I have a 4-year-old daughter. She’s my life. She’s a great kid; fun to be around and a bundle of energy.
One thing that probably isn’t ‘normal’ for kids of her age is that when she’s staying with me, she rarely has crisps or chocolate. I’ve never said she can’t have them and if it’s a hot sunny day (quite rare in England!), I won’t deny her an ice cream.
You see, I’m not strict about it; she never asks for them. The reason is simple; she knows I don’t buy or keep them in the house.
I imagine at this point some would argue that in denying my little tiger cub sweet treats, that she’s somehow missing out on the fun of being a kid. I won’t try and change their opinion, but what I will say is that if she doesn’t ask for them and I know they’re unhealthy, would it be worse for me to force them upon her?
Why do I mention this?
I mention it because it illustrates the point perfectly. Little One doesn’t ask for sweets because she knows they’re not there. In the same way, our flow would resist the lure and temptation of distraction, if the distraction wasn’t there in the first place.
Your Turn
The obvious advice here is to move your phone out of sight. It can be a massive attention grabber, but if you can’t see it, or it’s too much of an effort to take a glance at it, you probably won’t. It’s a simple solution.
If you need your phone nearby for any reason, the next best option is to take off notifications. The buzz we get from seeing a little red notification is what creates the addiction to checking our phone. If we don’t see it, we won’t form the habit.
Another common distraction is a messy workspace. We’re often distracted by shiny objects and feel the urge to tidy whenever confronted by something that challenges us in some way. Something incredibly useful to conquer this is to make it customary to re-set the workspace before you leave it.
Through work, you’ll accumulate papers, mugs, pens etc. but at the end of a writing session, or lunch, make it a habit to restore some order to your desk. You’ll be amazed what a difference this makes, not just in limiting the distractions but also clearing the mind.
At Least Make It Positive
Ok, I don’t want to be one of those proud parents who talk about their kid all the time, but she is great, and I do want to go back to talking about her again, just for a second.
I mentioned earlier that Little One rarely eats ‘junk-food’. What I didn’t talk about was her love of fruit.
Her favourites are strawberries, but she’ll happily go for apples, bananas, grapes, peaches, melon, pears and blueberries. When it comes to fruit, she isn’t too fussy. She’s been this way since I can remember.
Why do I mention this?
There are two ways to deal with a distraction. We can either eliminate it, e.g. don’t buy sweets on your next visit to the store, or we can turn it into something positive.
If you are going to get distracted, at least make it from something worthwhile.
Notifications on a mobile, are generally unimportant messages but if you can’t focus, step away for a few minutes and do something productive, or at the very least, an activity that will benefit you in some other way.
Your Turn
I’d love to sit here and share with you the secret for absolute and complete focus.
Unfortunately, I haven’t found it yet so my best advice is that if you’ve tried to eliminate the distractions and you still can’t keep your mind fixed on the task at hand, don’t be afraid to step away for a short while.
Instead of immediately reaching for your phone, grab a book, hit play on a podcast or go on a short walk instead. Do something beneficial for the body or mind. Come back with a fresh approach; you’ll get your best work done that way.
If you’re a compulsive snacker, trade the chocolate and crisps for fruit, nuts or something more nutritious.
By eating better, you’ll find you won’t have the pangs of hunger so frequently, which will be less of a distraction to you.
Final Thoughts
We all struggle for focus at times — It’s usually around the time that we need to most. There are several reasons why this could be with distractions being one of the main culprits.
We should remember that when it comes to distractions, we have two choices. We can eliminate them, or if we can’t do that we can, at the very least we should aim to turn them into something positive. Make them work for us, and not against us.
Thanks for reading,
— Dave
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