Distraction is the enemy of productivity.
Distraction keeps us from reaching any level of depth that could produce thoughts worth sharing. Distraction prohibits us from reaching a level of creativity able to produce worthwhile art.
We choose to be distracted. We pay to be distracted. There has never been a device more destructive to the creative process than the cell phone.
[Tweet “We choose to be distracted. We pay to be distracted.”]
We use it at work.
We use it at the dinner table.
We use it when we arrive home from work.
We use it while driving.
We use it while we write.
Wandering is good, distraction is bad
Minds have always wandered. A wandering mind is a thing of beauty open to new ideas. It’s a safe place for serendipitous eureka moments. Wandering is a stroll through a park. Wandering results in a better self. Distraction is wasted energy with no productive result.
There is a sad irony that our social circles are distracting us from becoming who we should become. Facebook is connecting you to more people but is it improving you in any measurable way?
“Checking” is the gateway drug
We have not mastered this tool. It has mastered us. We aren’t in control anymore. Like an addict who can’t walk past a bar without stepping inside we’re incapable of controlling our urge to “check”.
[Tweet “We have not mastered this tool. It has mastered us.”]
Check Facebook updates.
Check mentions on Twitter.
Check our inbox.
Check our sales.
Check the headlines.
Check our bank account.
Check Craigslist.
Check the sales numbers.
Check our subscriber numbers.
Check the weather.
Check the scores.
Checking doesn’t take long. Checking is the gateway drug. Checking is opening a door to a distraction. When’s the last time you opened a door and didn’t enter the room? Do you know how hard it is to open a door and not enter the room? Yes, you do. You’re like me. We always walk in.
We have to stop checking. We have to stop opening the door.
My focus is weak
I’m confronting this problem of distraction because I’ve started writing my third book, The Early To Rise Experience for Entrepreneurs. I’m fighting distraction because my ability to focus is weak.
The greatest obstacle to creating great art is an inability to step outside of the world of distraction. We are preventing ourselves from venturing inside our hearts and exploring the potential of our minds because of the never-ending stream of distractions. We are choosing distraction over depth.
We only have ourselves to blame. We must break the habit of distraction. We must kill our addiction to checking, a form of avoidance. We are avoiding introspection, an honest conversation with ourselves. We are avoiding doing work that matters in exchange for small doses of empty tweets, updates and articles.
Don’t play with matches
We cannot win this fight. We should not play with matches. We must step away from the door. We must stop checking.
How to end distraction once and for all
Use this button on your phone. Use it often and use it for extended periods of time.
It will be hard at first. We will want to check. We are not in the habit of focussing. Our attention lacks stamina. Our ability to focus will increase. We will start to think deeper. We will start to think with more clarity. We will give birth to new ideas and perspectives. We will solve problems that have lingered.
We will become fully present.
We will begin to experience our potential.
Use it at work.
Use it at the dinner table.
Use it when you come home from work.
Use it while you drive.
Use it while you write.
Use it right now.
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