Why are you always distracted?

Have clarity through being decisive and intentional

Abstract

Your biggest distraction is yourself.

What we term as a distraction is subjective and a matter of perspective in which it is our reaction to something that determines whether it is or not.

• Do you struggle to pull your mind away from it?

• Is it something that incites action or an impulsive reaction?

• Finally, is it necessary to react to in the first place?

These are questions that can be answered when we are aware of the distraction.

But what about when we are unaware?

This thought piece explores distractions through my personal experience and highlights potential solutions to reduce our susceptibility to them.

Discussion

The (Possible) Solutions

In this post we will work backwards.

Starting with the solutions then providing the context I believe will elevate its impact, and will improve our understanding of the points made - so why not?

First, we will look at time blocking.

As if three posts weren’t enough.

But not to worry, as in this case we are looking at it not so much as a tool for time management, but more so for its mental effects on focus.

In my posts about time blocking I highlight that it has been a feature throughout my life and continues to be.

When I use it as a technique, to put it simply, I essentially say this time is for this and that time is for that, meaning nothing else should be attended to in the time allocated.

This allows me to create an agenda as to how I will use my time and then think of an approach to make the time blocks as effective as possible.

From a mental point of view, it sets boundaries around a focus and represents me taking steps towards the start line.

Instead of coming out of the race tunnel and getting into position during the time block, I’m ready to go as soon as the time block hits.

Now I can channel my energy into the main focus.

The preparation beforehand is where the task begins, not when the time block begins.

As a start, this is especially important as it provides the foundation of a broader solution to tackling distractions.

The idea of ensuring your energy is being directed appropriately links to something my parents taught me.

Remembering ‘why’.

Remembering why education is a priority.

Remembering the purpose behind the hard work.

Remembering why I do what I do.

Although they were positioned as reminders every so often, it is a point that has stuck with me and is something I take across various facets of my life.

For me, remembering ‘why’ means to remain grounded in the primary reason as to why you have gone somewhere or are doing a task.

There will be minor details that come along that don’t directly link to the ‘why’, but it doesn’t mean they are all distractions.

From my view, it is a matter of judgement.

As much as we would like to stick to a plan, there will always be spontaneity, which brings me to a point made in the abstract.

Now it is a case of managing your reaction and having a guided approach as to how you deal with spontaneity.

The stronger the reaction, the bigger the distraction.

This is because there will be more attention residue once you are done leading yourself astray making it is more difficult to refocus on your main task.

That is where that nagging feeling has the potential to arise, as your mind will momentarily be elsewhere until you manage to refocus.

If I were to give an analogy for how to deal with distractions and manage your reaction, it would go as follows:

• Imagine being in the confines of the main priority or task you are attending to with only a door to leave it.

• These confines are the boundary between your main focus and anything outside of it, and the only way you can go elsewhere is if you intentionally leave the task and exit these boundaries. When you do this, you know you are liable for the time and attention taken away, and therefore it can only be something urgent enough to momentarily take your focus.

• This is far better than multitasking, especially when it comes to something that requires your full attention.

The question now is:

• What takes away your focus and what is just in your line of vision?

We only recognise things as actual distractions when they invoke a certain reaction from us that leads us astray from our main focus.

But for those smaller lapses in focus, over time these are what hold us back and become increasingly worse if we don’t take action and accountability in reducing their impact.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

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Study environments and growing up

I have found that being distracted is a question of your mental clarity.

We are different, reaffirming my point of distractions being subjective.

An example I have is when my friends have their preferences for how they study and revise.

Some like the association of a library and studying, to which some say they are unable to work at home.

Not because of overt distractions though…

This goes further than it just feeling right being in a library.

When talking about actual home and not student accommodation, the issue isn’t friends and siblings running around and parents telling them to do five chores at once.

It is simply the cue association with their environment that means it is easier to focus in a library and is worth their effort of going there rather than just staying at home.

They have formed habits that arise when in a certain situation - from the room to their mood, they have made associations that lead to them behaving in a certain way.

Even in the case of being in student accommodation, solitary and away from home, the inclination to go to a library either remains the same or comes as a result of more overt distractions.

On the other hand, I know others who like revising in a noisy environment.

Some narrow their focus so much that I’m convinced they could work in the middle of a zoo if they had to.

In this situation, it is a matter of knowing that everyone is working towards a common goal which motivates them, which may be mirrored when working with friends.

Luckily, I have studied/worked intently in various environments and have become more accustomed with a variety of distractions.

Having the flexibility to study and zone in on demand I think is a skill that is developed over time but can only be achieved with intent.

However, I do prefer being in a quiet environment when attempting to do deep work, as for me, a time block is most effective when I’m mentally prepared and motivated by a plan.

This minimises the impact of distractions and sets the tone for how I approach them.

I think this comes down to the fact that as I’ve grown older, things have become less simple.

More responsibility, more tasks, more considerations for the future, and seemingly less time.

Decisions have to be made faster and attention has to be apportioned meticulously.

As a result, to momentarily narrow my focus and remain present takes more effort, as altogether the plans of action you make now are higher stakes than the plans you followed prior.

Hence, it is key to remember your ‘why’, as without it, you wouldn’t fully acknowledge the foundations you have built to be in the position you are in today.

The stakes are created on whether you leverage these foundations appropriately, as more distractions of different forms come along the way when building the path forward.

For me, this represents more difficult decisions as to what to spend my time on, as although different elements may align in a similar direction, priorities have to come first.

When we refer to distractions, we could talk about physical things that incite a reaction as mentioned before, but also things that are lesser on our priority list but have an impulse of urgency that comes with it.

To keep track, I find it imperative to first have a routine and also keep note of the plan that I may have envisioned the days or weeks before.

More often than not, a to-do list made with a relaxed mind puts me at ease when it is time to complete the tasks, as I know I will have thought about all the relevant considerations before planning and executing.

The impact of this is not to be overlooked though, as it is the clarity that enables you to enhance your time management abilities, become more focused, and work with intent.

The less distractions, the better our ability to plan, and most importantly our ability to plan ahead rather than plan in the moment.

Conclusion

Be intentionally distracted.

There are distractions surrounding us at all times - from visual cues to simply our mind drifting elsewhere.

When I allocate energy to one thing or a certain group of activities at a time, I would find myself more motivated than when I began, and even better sometimes, more energised.

If you don’t allow time to ‘be distracted’, and are not intentional in disconnecting completely, the trivial and constant distractions will hold you back and serve as chinks in the track that would eventually derail you.

We still need to be able to disconnect from our priorities.

To work smart, you must have the ability to think laterally; outside the box, which what disconnecting allows you to do.

This way you become more confident and strategic in how you approach your next steps.

P.S.

It would be ironic if you got distracted whilst reading this post… 👀