Managing your Distractions

by Alison Chapman

Personal distractions will always be a part of your life. I am not talking about interruptions. Although, those are not going anywhere either. I am talking about those leisure activities that some consider distractions, such as TV for hours or lying out by the pool. Often times there are individuals that think you need to completely abandon them. They think there is no way you can be successful if you have some fun.

I do not agree with this. Unfortunately, a lot of people that think you should abandon fun activities, use guilt to get their point across. There is a huge difference between giving up distractions, and managing distractions. One is hard and one is not as hard but also less productive. Additionally, talking about how you need to get rid of them just makes matters worse. Do not get me wrong, you are never going to get anything done if you come home from work and watch 6 hours of TV every day.

Personally, I think most of us are mature enough to understand the difference between distractions and leisure activities. Whether you are trying to run a household, lose weight, run a business or get an advanced degree, you need to be able to manage these distractions.

Managing personal distractions is like managing any other part of your life. The first step is realizing they are a part of your life and accepting that. Then make a plan for managing them because, as we all know, you can’t completely erase all distractions. You need a plan to fit them into your life in a way that does not take too much time away from your goals. The goal is making unconscious distractions, conscious distractions. For example, get DVR and set aside some time each week to watch your shows. Make one night movie night, or gaming night, or clubbing night. Then go and have fun without the guilt, because it’s scheduled and part of your plan. It’s a conscious decision, not an out of control waste of your time.

Managing distractions is no different than managing any other part of your life. The key is being conscious of what you are doing, then making a plan and following it. Personal distractions can be very loud and demanding. They can also be fun and could always be a part of your life if done at the right time.