The dictionary says a distraction is a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. Extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.
A distraction is something that takes your attention away from what you're supposed to be doing. If you just can't keep from checking your email every ten seconds, that's a distraction that's going to interfere with you accomplishing your goal.
Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer
to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.
– Jack Canfield
Some of the following suggestions were formulated by author, Joshua Becker.
Ways to keep determination and limit distractions:
1. Plan for your day the night before.
2. Do the most difficult things first.
3. Eliminate time wasters. .
4. Refresh and keep up your energy. .
5. Constantly remind yourself of your goals.
Some of Our biggest distractions
Smartphone notifications. On average, Americans check their phones every 12 minutes. ...
The internet. …
Social Media and Media in general
Clutter. ...
Multitasking.
Here are some ways to clear your mind and get focused.
Make a list of tasks. ...
Write a diary or keep a blog. ...
Get organized. Your lists and diary can help you do this
Let go of negativity. ...
Learn to say 'no' ...
Just do it - don't put things off! ...
How do I stop being distracted by thoughts?
Keep Your Vision and Goals in Mind. ...
Reduce the Chaos of Your Day by Focusing on 2 to 3 Important Tasks. ...
Do Those Tasks as Soon as Possible. ...
Focus on Only the Smallest Part of Your Work or project at a Time. …
Set a timer for 20 minutes then take a 5 minute break
Visualize Yourself Working. It may sound silly, but keeping your mind on the task at hand will minimize distractions.
Control Your Internal Distractions.
Take these steps to eliminate cognitive and emotional distractions and increase focus:
Stop digital pressures. ...
Give yourself frequent breaks. ...
Keep Tabs on your physical health. ...
Turn off smartphone notifications. ...
Knock out the most dreaded or difficult tasks first thing in the morning. ...
Eliminate or minimize negative people in your life.
There are three main types of distractions:
Visual: taking your eyes off the road;
Manual: taking your hands off the wheel; and.
Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving
Coping Skills
Practicing meditation and relaxation techniques;
Having time to yourself;
Engaging in physical activity or exercise;
Reading;
Spending time with friends;
Finding humor;
Spending time on your hobbies;
Engaging in spirituality
1. Turn off smart phone notifications. Have become one of the greatest sources of distraction in our lives. The average person now checks their mobile phone 150 times every day. To limit this distraction, turn off all nonessential notifications ( Facebook, Twitter, Games, etc.) as a default setting. As a result, you will be able to check your apps at more appropriate times of the day.
2. Read/Answer email once in the morning and once in the afternoon. When we keep our email open all day, we give our attention to many emails that are unimportant rather than the most important.
3. Complete 1-2 minute projects immediately. Our lives and minds are often cluttered and distracted by the many unfinished projects around us (unanswered email, household chores, financial responsibilities). Fortunately, many of these projects can be completed in far less time than we think. To live with less distraction, if a project can be completed in less than 2 minutes, adopt a “one-minute-rule” mentality.
4. Remove physical clutter. Unnecessary clutter is a significant form of visual distraction. And the more we remove, the less visual stress and distraction we experience. Clear your desk, your walls, your counters, and your home of unneeded articles.
5. Clear visible, distracting digital clutter. Just like physical clutter distracts our attention, digital clutter does the same. Desktop icons, open programs, and other visible notifications battle for attention in our mind. Notice the digital triggers that grab your attention. And remove them.
6. Accept and accentuate your personal rhythms. Discover the rhythms of your day to make the most of them. For example, I do my best creative work in the morning, afternoons work well for busy-work, and evenings are set aside for family—leaving late evenings for entertainment, rest, and guilt-free distraction. Accepting and understanding our natural rhythms to the day/week provides healthy motivation to remove distractions during our most productive parts of the day knowing there is opportunity later to indulge them
7. Establish a healthy morning routine. Begin your days on your terms apart from distraction. If possible, wake first in your household. Drink your coffee or tea or fix yourself breakfast. Journal or read and meditate. Develop a distraction-free morning routine. It will lay the foundation for a less-distracted day.
8. Limit TV. Researchers say the average American watches 37-40 hours of television each week. There is, of course, a solution to this madness: unplug your television completely. But if this step seems too drastic a stretch for your family, at least limit your time viewing it.
9. Keep a to-do list. keep a to-do list close by and current. No matter how hard you try to manage yourself, new responsibilities and opportunities will surface in your mind from various sources. The ability to quickly write down the task allows it to be quickly discarded from your mind.
10. Care less what other people think. The value of your life is not measured by the number of likes your Facebook post receives or the number of positive comments on your blog post. Please understand, there is great value in humbly seeking opinion and appreciating the wise counsel of those who love you. But there is no value in wasting mental energy over the negative criticism of those who only value their own self-interests. Learn to recognize the difference. And stop living distracted over the opinion of people who don’t matter.
Joshua Becker is the WSJ Best-Selling author of The More of Less and The Minimalist Home. He has appeared on numerous media outlets including The NYT, WSJ, USA Today, and CBS.
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