I’m super diligent about eliminating distractions – whether it’s something really small that might take me off task for a few minutes, or it’s something monstrous that’s going to completely derail whatever goal I’m trying to achieve. I’m intentional about those things, whether it’s removing it altogether, hiding it, or deleting it; whatever it takes!
For example, when my family is having a conversation with me my phone has got to be completely put away, because I know even glancing at it for a millisecond is going to distract me. I’m now potentially missing an important part of what they want to share with me, not to mention I’m being super disrespectful to them. When I’m eating healthy and eliminating sugar, I know there’s a part of my pantry that I cannot look at. It’s full of cookies and candy, and I can’t look at it!
If I even go in that direction, it’s going to distract me; it’s going to pull me off course.
When I’m shooting videos for you my phone is on airplane mode and my computer volume is all the way down, because I don’t want to hear any sort of notifications that are going to pull my attention from being here, just for you! But every once in a while, distractions kind of creep in. There may have been some extra binge-watching of Netflix during COVID, or times where I have spent more than just a couple of minutes on social media. These things happen.
I was having a conversation about distractions with a gentleman recently and I came to the conclusion that if you are diligent about eliminating your distraction 99.9% of the time – like you’re super disciplined, you have a concerted effort and you stay the course the majority of the time – then when it does creep in every once in a while, don’t beat yourself up. Don’t take shame in it; acknowledge it, realize it’s there, and course correct.
The fine line that I want you to be super aware of is when your distractions turn into disabilities.
When your distractions completely take over, they’re hindering you, or they are completely taking you off course, you’ve got to recognize that; you have to be aware of when that is starting to happen. Your distractions cannot become your disabilities.
Once you become aware of that fine line, then you’ll have a much better gauge and balance of how to stay disciplined, how to make sure that you don’t have these things that are going to pull you off course, and how to not beat yourself up when every once in a while they creep in.
All right, tell me, I want to hear from you! Comment below. What is a distraction that you are going to eliminate today, so that distraction does not become a disability?