Hello!

Do you have one? A plan for distractions?

As with any major journey or trip, if you want it to have the desired outcomes you have to plan for them. Since trips, journeys and adventures are all just a piece of life with a focus on particular outcomes, like life, they are filled with possible distractions and multiple directions to choose from.

A good plan of action would have a ‘plan for distractions.’ If not, we will be at the mercy of interruptions and lost productivity.

Developmental Neurobiologist John Medina talks about the impact interruptions and distractions have on the brain as it shifts attention from one activity to another; “a person who is interrupted takes 50 percent longer to complete a task. Not only that, he or she makes up to 50 percent more errors.”

When distracted, the brain has to shut down the systems in play for managing the first task and then make an assessment of the new ‘thing to do’ (the brain just knows it has some new thing to do with no idea of it being productive or not,) then it gets the systems going that are needed to do this new thing (converse, read, think, etc.) Then the brain has to get geared up to do the whole process of stopping and starting all over again when it goes back to the task at hand. It’s no wonder the task will take longer and we will commit more mistakes.

Yesterday’s exercises included becoming aware and making a list of your personal resources for optimism and maintaining your positive mindset throughout our 21-day journey. You were also asked to list the negative influences (detractors). The things that take us away from our goals – including those impacts you listed yesterday are all detractors and interruptions. They may not all be negative in general but if they appear when you are focused on productivity, they are still unplanned interruptions or detractors from your daily activity goals.

Today, I encourage you to create and write a plan for handling those detractors.

Don’t just know in your head what you will do when ‘such and such person’ pops in for a visit or a family member starts viewing a program that always gets you going down a path of negative thinking and feeling or a script like dialogue starts running through your mind; give some thought ahead of time on how you will respond. What will you do to keep yourself optimistic, productive (if you’re in the midst of work) and on the path YOU have decided to be on during this 21-day journey?

You know what works for you and you know what does not. So write your plan in your Action Journal and make the following agreement with yourself:

I promise to adhere to this plan for distractions immediately upon the first sign of being distracted.

I suggest you print your plan and post it where you will surely see it if you begin to slip into a distracted state.

Here’s what works for me – feel free to use aspects of this but please create a customized plan that you KNOW has worked or will work for you, specifically.

1) First of all, I work very often with a 30-minute sand timer to keep me focused and it helps with establishing the appropriate mental work environment. I also recently started logging time spent on the various activities of my day to see exactly where the ‘dark holes’ of time might be.(VERY helpful.)

2) If the distraction comes in the form of a person and their conversation or requests…I have learned how to simply say “no, but thank you; or, I’d love to at a later time but not right now.’’ This is something that may require practice but it’s necessary. Having a firm and clear commitment to your work schedule is imperative. Honoring it and saying a firm and polite ‘no’ to others is not some magical process to learn; you simply have to do it.

If it’s a distraction that’s coming from an internal dialogue or feeling, there are a few steps I take that always works. Basically, it’s listen, speak to it, breathe, be still, use the power of body language and keep it moving.

3) Depending on the severity of the distraction, I go with it for a few minutes and listen carefully to be sure it’s not some useful nudging I’m receiving to move on to something else or bring some other element into my work. [I spend most of my days writing, researching/product development, coaching and facilitating groups]

4) When I’m clear it’s just some old negative thought pattern, doubt or fear I take note but say out loud “NO, NOT NOW!”

I repeat an affirmation or scripture of choice: Several times.

5) I then take 5 – 10 very deep diaphragmatic breaths and stay still for several minutes; if time is not available to you even 30 seconds can have a major impact on your mindset.

If the negative distracting thoughts are persistent:

1) I write a few notes about it and commit to getting back to it later.

2) Getting physical by talking a walk, stretching and somehow impacting my body language – to ultimately have a powerful impact on my mind, and then working right through it always works.

3) Music is powerful for me so I play something to make me dance, move my body or praise God.

4) Calling my husband always helps – well, most times 🙂 – sometimes he is just not able to be distracted. (Gotta roll with those moments and not take things personally that have nothing to do with you!)

These work for me…and what I make sure I do each time is COME BACK to what I was distracted from. We have to train our thoughts and feelings as well as the people in our life to add value to our life. Sometimes we have to show them how and we always have to be lovingly firm about what we have set out to accomplish.

Wishing you an abundance of focus, success and joy,

Julette Millien

♥~

Some further reading may be helpful during our journey: