Today there are a multitude of distractions in our everyday lives. Being in a constant state of connectivity with our digital devices, expectations of being on-call 24/7, a plethora of digital games, hundreds of TV channels and networks, constant “entertainment”, etc. has raised the volume of noise in our world, and for some have generated excuses for being so busy that there is no time to think, rest, reflect. And for some, this distraction has become the norm.
We know this can be difficult since this way of living has become so pervasive, but we invite you to a 21 day personal challenge to wean yourself from the noise and distraction, and below are a few manageable tips to help you stay more focused. And why 21 days? Well, we hear from experts that it takes 21 days to start new habits–so let’s give it a try!
1. Carve out “off the grid” time even if for 20 to 30 minutes. For instance, if you work out in a gym, leave the smart phone in the car or at home. If the first thing you do when you wake up is literally check your email or text messages, don’t! Hit your snooze button for 10 minutes and do some deep breathing or take your shower first before picking up the device.
2. Turn off the TV and walk away from the digital devices. You have been blessed to be in the physical world. Go out and experience it. Take a walk, sit in the sun, actually call a friend to talk (vs texting). You don’t need to watch someone’s life on TV. You have your very special own life—write and tell your story.
3. Do creative work first. We tend to do the grunt or mindless work first and then build up to the tougher tasks. This can drain your energy and distract you. Flip this. Do your creative tasks first–then you can go to checking email, doing those chores, etc.
4. Mix it up. We are creatures of habit. So as we noted in other posts, mix it up. Take a different way to work or school. Try a new exercise routine. Eat something totally different for breakfast.
5. Kill the over multi-tasking. Somewhere along the way we learned to accept or even seek recognition for being able to multi-task as if it is a badge of honor. Actually, when you multi-task too much your brain adapts and you lose your ability to focus. So in short we are training our brains to be unfocused. Try to do one thing at a time.
We hope you check in and let us know how it’s going. And we look forward to hearing from you on how you are killing the distraction in your life!