One thing in life that is guaranteed is distractions. And despite the fact that we know to expect them, distractions are the biggest pain point for people who wish they could be more productive. When it comes to productivity, most people struggle with rising above these inevitable obstacles.
So if distractions are a certainty - then why are we so easily caught off guard when they happen?
Why are we constantly disempowered in our own action, thwarted from our desired progression by something that is guaranteed to occur?
Why do we allow the expected to derail our potential?
From my own research and experience working as a productivity coach, I have noticed that it isn't so much about what we do or don't do, but rather who we are being.
We let distractions derail our productivity because we haven’t figure out how to BE someone that isn’t controlled by distractions.
You see, most of us are so used to being distracted that if enough time goes by where we aren’t externally distracted, we go ahead and distract ourselves. This is why you’ll reach for your
phone in the middle of writing an email - even though you haven’t received a notification. When what’s expected doesn’t happen, we make it happen ourselves.
For most people, including my clients, distractions are akin to an addiction - and like any addiction, it takes commitment, self-compassion, and intrinsic motivation to overcome.
Essentially, you have to consciously decide to become someone else, someone who is in control, instead of someone who is being controlled.
You need to choose to evolve from being a Distraction Addict (living reactively, a Puppet at the mercy of time and distractions) to a Flow State Addict (living proactively, the Master of your time & attention).
When we are addicted to distractions, we are BEING A PUPPET that lives reactively: our attention is marionetted and we are trapped by the strings of time.
But when we are a Flow State Addict, we are BEING THE PUPPET MASTER: we orchestrate an experience of expansive creativity (attention management), playing with the present moment with freedom and joy (time management).
So how do we do it? How do we ascend from being the Puppet, addicted to distractions and trapped by time, to become the Puppet Master? How do we make attention and time our puppets so that our new addiction is FLOW?
We do this by limiting the power those inevitable distractions have over us.
We need to develop the ability to disempower distractions, and the way I see it, there are 3 D's to disempowering distractions:
Deter
Diffuse
Dismantle
When we learn how to effectively deter, diffuse, and dismantle distractions, we end up being able to do more, create more, BE more with the time we have.
Those that haven’t yet embodied this Flow State skill set:
will experience the sense that time is working against them
are always rushing and multi-tasking, never able to be fully present with the task at hand
complain that there is never enough time in a day - there’s a lack of time
often experience anxiety believing it's impossible to get it all done with the limited time they have
But when you have the ability to disempower distractions? When you’ve become the Puppet Master - and your new addiction is Flow? Then you:
have more timeless moments - creating impeccably and experiencing joyfully because you have all the time in the world
never feel the need to rush because you trust in divine timing
transcend time-space consciousness into the infinite quantum time potentiality: it feels as though time is abundant.
are free from any time restraints or time-based fears to simple BE
Disempowering Distractions is the flow state skill set that differentiates those that can manipulate time from those that are at the mercy of it. The Flow State Addicts from The Distraction Addicts. The Puppet Masters from the Puppets.
SO let’s break down the 3 D’s to Disempowering Distractions:
Deter. This is about preventing external distractions from reaching your sphere of awareness in the first place. Most people do not experience flow on the regular because they haven’t developed the ability to avert attention attacks. They don’t understand how to control their environment effectively or use technology to their advantage, instead of being controlled by it. But when you learn how to Deter, you consciously erect an impenetrable force field protecting you from the inevitable distractions.
Diffuse. This is about reducing the temptation effect that distractions have on us. It’s about coming to a place of being where the distraction simply isn’t as enticing as flow state is. Diffusing means that FOMO is no longer a powerhouse when it comes to deciding how we will dedicate our time and energy. Satisfaction comes with the ability to sink in completely to the present moment task because nothing is better than focusing on this thing right here, right now. Knowing that it is impossible for you to miss out on what is truly meant for you, you have the freedom to put your all into this thing, right here, right now - with gleeful enthusiasm. What’s meant for you CANNOT miss you - so FOMO isn’t real when you master the ability to Diffuse distractions.
Dismantle. This is about breaking down the reasons we are internally distracted - the reasons we tend to procrastinate. This is about coming to a place of understanding that the grass isn’t greener and we aren’t working for the weekend. When we are in flow, we’re exercising our Soul’s purpose in this Earth experience: we are consciously choosing to create through our work and it’s the most satisfying thing - because we aren’t doing, we are BEING. We aren’t “getting through the week” so that we can “finally enjoy life on the weekend”, we are invoking our divine ability to create and experience through the work that we do - because engaging with it gives us purpose. We’re standing here on the greenest grass and our ego’s can’t tell us otherwise. We understand that external motivation is fleeting at best. We are tuned into our core motivators and are intrinsically inspired into flow state regularly. When you’re moved to action from the inside out, it does not matter what your ego throws at you: you fly freely from one productive moment to the next, unperturbed and joyful. You aren’t reaching for external gratification - the fulfillment comes from within.
When you become a Flow State Addict, when you can Deter, Diffuse, and Dismantle those inevitable distractions, you flow because your mind is fully engaged in the task at hand and you’ve harnessed the rare skill set that evades most: you’re actually thinking about the thing that you’re doing.
You’re embodying your creative potential and experiencing with uttermost satisfaction in the here and now. Time and Attention are at your command, and it feels so good to proactively BE The Puppet Master of your own life.
So, who is pulling the strings? You - or Distractions? If it’s the distractions, what’s it going to take for you to stop giving your power over to them?
How we engage with distractions is a choice - just like everything in life. You have free will, always - and in every moment you have the choice to exercise that free will from a conscious state of mind.
You can choose to stay living reactively, controlled by distractions, or you can choose to rewire your brain - to become A Flow State Addict. If you’re ready to transcend distractions once and for all, I can help get you there: book your coaching session today!