There are so many opportunities for distraction as we go through our days. Between every need your kids have, the home constantly needing to be cleaned somewhere, pets, husband, selfcare… There’s a lot going on, it’s no wonder we’re so scatterbrained and can’t stay on task. Today I’m going to give you a 5 step plan to overcome the distractions and begin to focus on what’s really important to you.
1. Identify what IS important to you.
How can we limit the distractions if we don’t first decide what’s the priority we’re supposedly being distracted from? In many cases you can be tempted to call your kids the distraction, but what are they distracting you from? Is it really something more important than them? Is it really something that you need to do at this moment?
Sometimes it is something that needs to take priority over whatever your kids need right now, and that’s okay! What we want to do here is take the time to question these things instead of running on a malfunctioning autopilot mode that isn’t working for us anymore.
2. Realize what APPEARS to be important.
If someone was watching you everyday – not knowing your heart or your intentions, solely based on your actions alone – what would they say is most important to you?
Annie Dillard says “how we spend our days, is of course, how we spend our lives.”
So, how are you spending your life? Are you really living each day in alignment with your dreams and life goals? We can’t keep living each day in survival mode forever. At some point, it’s time to realign and live on purpose.
3. Name the distraction.
Now is when we get to decide. We know what’s important to us, we know what we’re doing each day, so where’s the disconnect? What is distracting you from being your best self?
How are you spending your time? How could you better spend your time? What can you give up to focus on what’s really important?
Balancing your priorities is key here.
Life works in seasons. In some seasons life will require more from you in different areas – sometimes home needs most of your time, sometimes it’s your kids, sometimes your marriage, or yourself.
Let your kids be involved. It ‘s not always that time with your kids is a distraction, but what you’re doing may be a distraction. Instead of watching a movie with them again when you need to get some house work done, involve them instead. Let them be near you while you do your work.
4. Decide to take action.
Now that you know what the distraction is for you, how can you limit it?
If your phone is the biggest distraction, set time limits on each app that’s sucking your time. You can also try setting certain hours of the day where you leave your phone in another room.
Time blocking is a good option to keep the distractions in check. Time blocking can help you stay focused on one thing at a time because you’ve scheduled your day ahead of day. Another option is to set aside a chunk of time where you forbid yourself from engaging in your distracting things.
5. Use a new habit to replace the old ones.
We’ll use your phone as an example again here. If you always check your phone when you sit down for a break, but end up on a time sucking app for longer than intended, try leaving a book where you typically sit, and start leaving your phone away from this area too.
If the book is still causing you to take a much longer break than needed or intended, set your kitchen timer to remind you when it’s time to get up.
Show and Tell Time:
Share what’s most important to you on your Instagram and tag me (@BritClarkson). Tell me what you’re giving up to focus more on what’s important to you!
Brittni Clarkson 