Life is one BIG distraction
In the best way and in the worst way, life is full of distractions. Lately I have found that the second I sit down to write my brain goes completely blank. I have thoughts, but cannot form a sentence for the life of me. And the times I do have my thoughts in order, and the house is quiet and I am totally in the zone, my phone starts to buzz. Or I’ll get chilly and spend ten minutes in my closet finding the perfect comfortable “writing outfit”. By the time I get back to the chair, all is lost.
I think one of the reasons that we feel so behind all of the time is that we allow distractions to take us away from what really matters. Whether that be focusing on the little details or getting caught up in family drama, we allow this foreign energy to come in and take over whatever it was that we were doing.
It’s one of the reasons why our side projects and goal setting often gets sidetracked. Because we don’t stick to the boundaries we set. I remember when I would get a text from someone I liked back in the day and all bets were off. I couldn’t focus on anything just waiting for them to text me back! How embarrassing is that?! What a fricken waste of my precious time.
The best way to set yourself up for success rather than for failure is to get really clear about what is important to you.
What are your boundaries? What time will you STOP working today? What time will you focus on your self care routine? What will you do to protect your time and to ensure that it won’t be wasted?
It may be something as small as turning your phone over when you are sitting and talking to a friend. It may be something bigger such as turning your phone off ( :-O yes there is an off switch) when you really need to study for a test so you aren’t tempted to text your friends or use social media. Take a break as often as you need to. Taking a break is actually good for you! But remember there is a big difference between taking breaks and getting distracted. Getting distracted can take an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on track. (University of California Irvine study) That’s a lot of wasted time when you’re trying to get ahead.
Whatever it is - and hopefully by now you know what it is that distracts you most - set some boundaries for yourself. Set time limits if you have to. Don’t let yourself be tempted! Don’t let yourself give in. Your dreams are too important and they are not going to play out on their own. Your time and your goals are always worth it. Aimlessly scrolling on your phone because you are bored is not.
