•By Pastor WOLE OLADIYUN
Now, truth be heard, we live in such uncertain times that getting distracted is effortless. These times we live in itself is not exactly a recipe for focus but if you can be deliberate and disciplined, you will be able to kick distractions out of your daily life, at least, to the barest minimum.
The thrilling distraction majority of people of all ages, and from all walks of life, are currently faced with is the social media. Of a truth, social media has brought a lot of . people, far and near, together to some degree, but not without exchanging their concentration with interruptions and fallacy unbeknownst. Many young people do not want to go through the process any longer, they just want to happen! You will see a 25-year-old feeling like a failure because he has not been able to achieve what a 40-year-old has achieved. This anomaly, unfortunately, makes these young people, who still have their whole lives ahead of them, feel like their lives are worthless and hastily, unless they find help, they bow to pressure from within them whispering, “end-it-all.” I want you to know today that social media, because of its
virtual uniqueness, aids people in selling lies or half-truth to the world and if you are not mentally alert, you will not just be distracted, you will also believe you have failed even when you are yet to start living. The way out of all these is to know yourself, understand that there is timing and process to life and results, shut down the noise and live one day at a time.
Below are some valuable ways to manage distractions and be a better person.
YOU MUST IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF YOUR DISTRACTION:
Without knowing the trigger of a problem, you cannot diagnose a solution. The inability to set priorities, and the daily pressure you face in school, at work, in the society, and in your social life contribute to the many distractions you face. So, fish out the trigger( s) and map out strategies of placing them at arm’s length. If you can pause to identify what your triggers are, then you can begin to make necessary changes by:•Pausing when you are about to step into distraction. •Identifying the negative emotion, promptings, or leanings, that take your focus away from the major and pitches it with the minor. •Identifying what needs to be done and getting it done ASAP. •Removing the ability to carry out or bow to your distractors .
YOU MUST MANAGE YOUR TIME:
This is because you are not just overwhelmed or distracted, you are unorganised. It is funny how everyone wants results, but no one wants to be focused. You must understand that the gap between where you are and where you want to be is called FOCUS. How can you manage your time? .
•Wakeup early •Create a to-do-list •Set deadlines for each task •Stick to your schedule and deadlines.
•Focus on one thing per time.
YOU MUST MAKE STEADY PROGRESS.
You cannot advance to level 10 if you are stuck with the habits that got you to level 2. How can you achieve this? •Read! Unlearn what does not serve purpose in your life and learn what does. Read quality and relevant books. This is because books have high ROI. Through books, you will acquire decades of knowledge and a lifetime of relevance. It is often said that experience is the best teacher, but no one says it has to be yours. Therefore, through reading, you will learn from other people’s experiences,
and you will save yourself some good time. Moreover, the money, time, and mistakes you will save yourself from, are well worth the investment. So, I make reading a daily habit and you will forever get annual returns, as long as you live.
•Start gradually and focus on getting better every day. Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu said: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Take that step today because minor improvements over time will lead to big changes.
YOU MUST LOOK AT ISSUES DIAGNOSTICALLY:
Rather than focus on your distractions, develop a problem-solving mindset. Earlier on, in chapter 3, I
highlighted two categories of distractions: within your control and outside your control. So, rather than
focus on the negatives, ask yourself:
•Am I in control of this? •What can I do better? •Can I improve on this. If yes, how do I go about it? A problem-solving mindset, instead of a victim’s mindset, will help you move past road blocks faster than you could have imagined.
YOU MUST CREATE A VALUE-ADDING NETWORK
God designed humans to relate with one another for survival. This means that you become a reflection of those in your inner circle. What are the people in your circle bringing to the table? You must understand that no relationship will leave you as it met you. It will either add to you or subtract from you. It will either make you or mar you. This is because you will, as could be expected, adopt the traits, habits, and mindsets of those in your circle. How should you handle this? •Spend less, or no time at all, with people who hold you back. •Increase time, or spend more calculated time, with people who are able to pull you forward. If it is not serving purpose, there is no use latching on to it.
YOU MUST FIND YOUR PURPOSE AND GET CLARITY OF WHAT’S NEXT PER TIME
This is because your focus is your currency and how you spend it is your investment. Now, without direction or a clear plan, it will be hard to live a fulfilled life. In life, everything becomes easier and clearer when you find your purpose. Get clarity on what’s next and live for it. How can you achieve this feat? •Get into deep work. •Find your purpose. •What you focus .on grows: focus on you so that you can grow. •Forgive yourself for the decisions you made when you were in survival mode. Now that you know better, so do better.
YOU MUST STOP BEING LAID BACK ABOUT TASKS
Being consistently nonchalant about tasks is disrespectful to those who actually believe in you. You must stop delaying your own progress: you can pray and manifest all you want but if you refuse to get up and chart a worthy cause for your own life, you will never achieve relevance.
YOU MUST NOT MULTI-TASK
There’s a multi-cost for multi-tasking, but there’s an easy solution out ofit. It is called, “To-Do List.” How can you guard against multi-tasking? •To avoid multitasking, make a list of the day’s tasks. Once you have your list, order the tasks by priority, and make a habit of working your way down your to-do list. Ensure to work on only one task at a time before you switch to the next. •Your to-do list should include things you need to achieve for the day. Then ask yourself how much time you need to block off to achieve each of the tasks. This will allow you to minimize distractions and maximize efficiency. •Multitasking may seem like you are killing two birds with a stone and finishing your work faster, but truth be heard, the tasks that you are ‘multitasking’ on will only serve as distractions if you factually weigh the outcome. This is because switching between several tasks when you have not successfully completed one is not multitasking but irresponsible swapping of roles. • Studies have shown that media multitasking during schoolwork interferes with students’ attention and working memory. This makes their learning shallower and blotchier: they understand less and have difficulty recollecting what they have learned and applying it in new contexts. •People suffer from doing too many things at the same time albeit shabbily rather than doing a particular thing excellently. Studies suggest that what multitasking does to you is make your productivity level drop by 40%. This is because
you will not be able to finish any single task completely, and successfully. Simply, it’s called, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
YOU MUST CONCENTRATE ON YOUR MAJOR TASKS
Because multitasking is a major distractor, prioritizing is the way to keep it in check. You may have thought that multitasking is being smart but in actual sense, it is you merely scatterring focus. If you put 20 tasks on your-to-do list, how realistic do you think you can deal with it all injust one day? Do you intend to delegate? If not, how effective do you think your ability to focus will be? Rather than create “an oversized to do list” that you won’t be able to
achieve, focus on your top 4-5 “must-be-accomplished-today” tasks. This is the best way to focus on your goals and curb distractions. Once you have earmarked your top tasks, attend to them as soon as possible. This way, you can stay focused and not be overwhelmed by activities. And do try to get your tasks done early before unanticipated but sometimes unavoidable issues take over your day.
YOU MUST BE ACCESSIBLE BUT FIRMLY DEFINED
At the place of work, co-workers dropping by to ask one or two questions is a common workplace distraction. Make it a habit to politely refuse distractions while you work. Or better still, leave a stick-on note on your door or by your desk signalling your temporary inability to chit-chat or entertain a ‘guest.’ You may add a convenient time that you might be available for a quick meeting or question. If you do not have the luxury of a personal space, you may want to wear headphones to send a message across to your co-workers that you are deeply immersed in your work and would not want to be distracted. This is because interruption during work can trip people into frequent errors. The length of the interruption can also have.its effect on the error rate.
YOU MUST KEEP CHITCHATS AT ARM’S LENGTH
Small talks and office gossip, side discussions about other people, projects, situations, salary, economy,
fashion, stories on blogs, late arrivals and early departures, and connectivity or technological issues are also workplace distractors. Do well to steer clear of them especially when it brings bad blood amongst members of staff or group of friends. Gossip is talking to someone who is neither’ a part of the problem nor of the solution about an issue. Be dignified enough not to be caught in it.
YOU MUST SCHEDULE MEETING BUT SHARE THE AGENDA AHEAD
If you are going to hold a meeting, make a clear agenda with clear and concise list of matters which everyone to be involved in must be familiar with and adhere to. Also, state how long the meeting will last for and do not add an extra minute to it. There is a need to learn how to respect other people’s time. Now, when the agenda is known before hand, everyone in the team will have enough time to think about the questions and concerns they may want to raise in relation to the issues on the agenda. Do ensure to invite only those who have business being at the meeting.
YOU MUST PRACTICE SOME SELF-CARE
Got stuck on a project and you just can’t seem to re-focus? Take a break! Research has shown that breaks from activities, at interval, especially when you feel stuck, can be helpful. You can get so encumbered with work that you will forget to take a break, to get up and take a short walk, eat, take some water, step into the rest room, or take some well-earned time away from your screen. Taking a break is not distraction but refuelling to fire on. Attend to yourself first, you are all you have got! Never forget that.
YOU MUST BE MINDFUL OF THE COSTS OF UNDUE STRESS
Running late to work due to traffic can lead to stress and anxiety. And though this may seem like a regular distraction, it can make a worker become less attentive at work and result into loss of focus and low productivity .
YOU MUST NOT ENCOURAGE COMPETITION:
Competition, if unhealthy, will put an emphasis on result rather than value the process or the journey involved in accomplishing a task. And when this is the case, the result will become the sole focus, and
may create a feeling of a failure on who has purportedly not done well. If the competition is healthy though, it will encourage individuals to promote striving for higher achievements and create an environment where each one hopes that everyone will do well, and not fail. As a distractor, competition
can easily lead to stress and anxiety, especially if it promotes rivalry and curry unhealthy self-esteem.
No matter what, do not allow other people’s achievements destroy your inner peace. Train your mind to be calm and stay focused in every situation. Remember that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but time and chance happens to them all. Also, all things will be made beautiful in its own time. You must continue to give your best, to stay positive, to not entertain negative energy, to not wish that anyone would fail, and to rejoice with those who seem to be ahead today. Understand that God does not owe any man: your own time will come so there is’ no need to compete with anyone. Rather, strive to do better than you did yesterday. If you are captivated and focused on your own goals, you won’t be distracted by competition. “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
ADDITION
As a parent, if your child is distracted, you can help himlher by doing the following. •Help your child to identify his/her distractors. •Explain your child’s challenge(s) to him/her in a positive and supportive manner. •Do not condemn your child, rather, have a heart-to-heart talk with himlher, illustrating why he/she needs to do better. •Help your child to get on a consistent schedule. •Help your child take breaks when necessary. •Ensure that your child stays disciplined by insisting on setting right priorities. •Relate to your child at his/her level.
