In my list of 7 goals for the year, goal #3 was “Eliminate any distractions in life not vital to success.” I thought about this one before putting it down on paper because it did mean that some things in my life would have to go this year. Also, the quote isn’t totally mine alone; I heard a speech a few years ago where Nick Saban said something similar about taking anything out of your life that wasn’t allowing you to be your best.
To me, distractions come in several forms.
First, there are people. I have always been taught and thoroughly believed that I was in the people business. People buy the product that I am selling and people create the product that I sell, so I live in a world revolving around people. But sometimes, you have a set of people in your life that simply distracts you from the task at hand. They do or say things, either to you or about you, and when it makes it back to you – the time spent mentally thinking about them is simply no good. So sometimes, you have to take people out of your lives who are distracting your mental power to perform at the level you want to perform at. There have been several times this year with friends and some family that I have chosen to eliminate from my thoughts simply because they are not and probably never will be willing to help me succeed. That may sound a little heartless but I find myself in a place where I want all the time to myself that I can get, and if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. And problems have to go. Plus, these are the type of friends/family that never offered to pay for dinner, buy the beer, or come pick you up to go somewhere, so see ya later.
Next, there are habits. I used to enjoy habits like sleeping in a little on the weekends or looking at Facebook at night before going to sleep. Now, I have started waking up early on the weekends to read my work emails, send follow-up notes, and when I do go to Facebook, I usually go there because I am looking for someone or specifically at something. Also, things like alcohol use to be a bigger distraction. Everybody loves to have a couple of drinks or unwind after work (which I still do), but not to the extent that I used to. By limiting the days or the amount of alcohol, I have found that I am much more functional and on top of my game even more than before. The truth is that I really like it. Being more focused and paying more attention to everything gives me a great feeling. Better than that of a habit that had no great rewards.
Lastly, there is the mental trap. I used to get angry at situations or issues that would occupy my thoughts. Sometimes, I would think about them for days, and there was no outcome that was going to be productive for me in any way. So, by not allowing these things into my mind and simply accepting situations or issues for what they are, I find there is a whole lot more of my time and energy to expend in other areas. Focusing on things you can do something about or how to make situations better for people in the future rather than harping on what went wrong in the past has taken a big set of distractions out of my mind and freed me up from being in a mental trap.
So, to sum everything up: Dump your friends/family that create drama, put down your Facebook account and the beer can, and don’t harp on situations that linger in your mind. Get things in and out that do not help your ability to be successful.
Eliminate your distractions and you will be surprised at what all you can accomplish.