Over this past week I had reason to make two statements that, although different and said for different reasons, are exactly the same and are delivered to encourage the same type of actions.

The two statements:

1. Keep your eye on the prize

2. Don’t loose sight of your primary purpose

One of these was made to professional athletes competing at a very elite level. The other was made to a business client whom was in the middle of working out how and why they might need to reinvent their business or make significant change in and around who and why they are doing things.

Although these are statements that we are very familiar with, I believe that the necessity to understand, verbalise, and utilise them is becoming more and more necessary.

Why?

Because for all sorts of reasons the level of distraction in everyday life is becoming greater. Distraction is becoming more prevalent and unfortunately for some, distraction is becoming needed.

For me I look at like there are:

1. Good distractions
2. Bad distractions
3. Needed distractions

Let’s start at:

3. Needed Distraction

Simply stated there are times within our lives when we need distraction – truly need it. We have, for whatever reason, encountered a significant situation in our lives and the enormity of the situation along with the level of negativity has an ability to consume our every thought conscious or subconscious. This is an unfortunate part of life, but a very real one. One that at sometime we will need to deal with.

It is at these time where distraction can, and should, be a welcome occurrence. The distraction might not be readily available, but experience suggests that a friend, a colleague, or a family member will quickly be there doing whatever they can to manufacture a distraction.

And if they are not, they should be! And If they don’t you need to!

2. Bad Distraction

Beyond these types of situations, distraction is not always a good thing. As I said above, it is something that I am seeing more and more. And unfortunately I don’t see is it as being a positive.

On one hand we create distraction.

We create distraction to allow us to move away from the reality of the situation we find ourselves in. One could argue that this allows us some much needed breathing space. However, chances are at times when there is expectation or responsibility placed upon your shoulders, the distraction you create or utilise is not to give yourself time and space, or to understand and plan.

The distraction you create and use is all about avoidance, it is about relieving you from a certain level of responsibility. Distraction yes, dealing with the situation or solving the problem…No!

Also on the Bad Distraction we have the type of distraction that we allow to consume us without even thinking about it. Right now, I see more and more people walking around with their mobile phones placed in front of them.

Especially now with Pokemon Go.

It is like the world now exists inside that phone.

Head up people! There is a whole other world going on around you, one that exists away from the screen of your mobile phone.

The phone provides opportunity to be distracted from the realities of the world. Whilst for others it allows them to exist in an alternate environment. One that they have total control over. One that they are protected with in. One where they are well within their comfort zone.

Unfortunately, neither one allows anyone the time and opportunity to develop the skill sets needed to be an active participant in the real world in which they live.

1. Good Distraction

As much as we can be consumed by bad distraction, sometime we need to be consumed by good distraction. Two weeks away from your first overseas vacation the chances are you are not thinking about ‘how good am I going to be at work today! How am I going to help those around me? How are we going to get the result the boss needs from us?’

Chances are you need a distraction from looking at the clock every two minutes to see how much longer you need to be there.

We all, at certain times and for certain reasons, need time away from whatever is consuming our every through and action. This should be the exception and not the rule.

We need to realise and understand when we are using distraction in a positive proactive manner and when we are using and allowing it to consume us in ways that we shouldn’t. Each and every day will bring with it the necessity to a check on where our levels and type of distraction are at and why.

A daily decision, if done in the right way and for all the right reasons will go a long way to ensure…

The Journey Continues!