"We have a bumper crop of real issues this year. In fact, we have so many things to think about that it’s easy to lose sight of the most important among them."
Jonathan Alter, Newsweek, 9/20/04
So often we have great intentions. We receive a gift and want to quickly give a ‘thank you’ call, or send a quick e-mail, or even write a note. Yet, it doesn’t always happen when we think about it or when we want to do it. So what gets in the way?
Of course, we have many things in our schedule and probably too many ‘to-do’s’ on our list, but if we examine what really goes on when something doesn’t get done, or when we don’t stay focused on a task at hand, we notice that something else has captured our attention. That something has pulled us away from our intended task, thought, idea, or path.
In the simplest description, it could be that we start to write something down and the phone rings. We take the call and then forget what it is we were doing and move on to something else. The phone call is the distraction. It keeps us from what we were doing or planning to do next. While this is a simplistic example, this can happen on a large scale as well. Distractions come in many forms and oftentimes, we ‘create’ them to avoid doing something that needs to be done. We know we have to leave the house for an appointment, but we decide to ‘quickly’ do one more thing, which in turn, causes us to be late. Once again, we didn’t stay on the intended path.
As a more serious example, one of my clients is on a very focused career path. She has mapped out the steps she needs to take to reach her goal of becoming a self-sufficient entrepreneur. She has carefully researched options, and she plans to take several specific classes and courses that directly relate to her ultimate goal. In the process, she took a class that intrigued her and then followed up to get more information. Unexpectedly, she got swept away with excitement about an expensive, time-consuming course that seemed as though it would further her career efforts. In pursuing the details, she discovered that the course would, in fact, not be ideal at this time as it is costly, involves travel, and has a time-commitment.
So what happened? Something new and ‘sparkling’ caught her attention. In so doing, it distracted her from her intended pathway. Upon this realization, she could see how easily distractions can pull us away from our intentions. Had she taken the course, it doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t have helped her become an entrepreneur in her field, but at the very least, it would have been costly and changed the time line. It almost took her away from her values – the classes and courses that she had previously chosen to pursue because they truly supported her goal in an effective manner.
INVITATION TO EXPERIMENT:
How often are you pulled away? Can you think of something dazzling that tends to draw you in and you forget what you were doing? Notice on a daily basis how often something captures your attention and distracts you. Step back and see if you can also look for the ‘big’ things that draw you away from your intended path (including things that you create). Once you notice the distraction, you can choose to drop it, ignore it, or evaluate it, and stay focused in the direction you were originally heading.
If you feel inclined, please let me know if you decide to go ahead and try this experiment. I would love to hear about your experiences. Your feedback and comments have been most welcomed:-) Keep them coming!!
Very best regards,
marion@lifecoachinggroup.com
© 2004. All rights reserved. Marion Franklin, www.lifecoachinggroup.com
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