word dabs

Distraction

Do you have the gift of focusing on one thing extremely well? If you do, you’re probably quite successful; (at least in that one area of your life!) Like a laser on metal, focused energy creates intense results.

If however, you struggle to focus on one thing even if when you want to, it can leave you feeling like you’re not getting things accomplished, keeping you from all that you ‘need’ to achieve.

Is this you?
Well, don’t lose heart. Learning to recognize and acknowledge weaknesses in yourself is the first step towards making actions for change. Better that you see the problem than not.

No-one is going to ask you to stop focusing on multiple things. It’s not realistic & not who you are.

1st:
Write down on post-it notes the things that are getting your attention. Try to narrow down really how many different directions you are being pulled. One post-it to each distraction. This gives you an opportunity to try and see how big the issue is.
The good thing about this list (hopefully) is that it might show you that you’re not as distracted as you first thought you were. Most of you will probably have a list that is less than seven to ten things. If that’s the case then we have something to work with. (Seven is an outside goal.:) )

2nd:
Now you have your post-its, stick them in order of how much energy you give them. If surfing the web distracts you more than anything or chatting with your friends, put that in front. Be honest with yourself.

3rd:
Once you have these ranked, in the top right corner use a pen and write their rated order number.

4th:
When completed, rearrange them in the order you know they SHOULD be. Hopefully now we are starting to see a divide.
___

Now if things are ranked low and rated low, you can automatically recognize these as unnecessary distractions to your success and work towards taking them out of your life. If that’s reading online gossip, move away from that computer.. heck, turn it off! If it’s watching TV, playing computer games or just general procrastination, then stand up and move. Ban yourself from that area or set yourself a strict time limit as you would children.

For the things that rank high on your ‘should’ ratings, put those more in front of you. Set up doing that action in a place that you spend a lot of time to force you back into that habit. For many creatives that thing you SHOULD be doing more is creating! NO?

This is not school. No one is going to force you to focus on something and give you a punishing grade if you don’t. It’s important to recognize you’re not single-minded and learn how to work with that. If you have seven things that distract you, you can still achieve A LOT in a seven day week.

Now. Off to paint!

Tags: achieve, adam parsons, arranging, artist, attention, chatting, creating habits, distraction, focused energy, focusing, painter, post-its, struggle, success