#59
Distractions can get the best of us, even on our best days. The good news is that we can bounce back as soon as we recognise that we’re experiencing them. The bad news is that we often don’t recognise distractions as such.
The distractions we face in life are not always the things that prevent us from doing what’s necessary or important. Sometimes it’s precisely the “big” tasks that we focus on that block us from accessing our skills, talents and knowledge, because we’re overworking ourselves!
When it comes to productivity, anything that keeps us from being in the present moment and entering a state of flow, or peak performance, is a distraction.
There are two opposite sides to the “distracted” spectrum that we can reach. That’s why we say the magic happens in the middle. That’s where we find our inner balance.
We get distracted when we are:
Over-engaged (perfectionism, overachieving, overthinking, burnout, etc)
Under-engaged (procrastination, lack of motivation, comparison, etc)
When we are over-engaged, we lose sight of the big picture. Partial visibility leads to errors, decreased analytical abilities, increased levels of anxiety, and the list goes on.
When we are under-engaged, we cannot even see the big picture. It’s like we know what needs to be done, but we just don’t understand “why” it needs to be done.
Fear plays a huge role in both.
Whether we are over-engaged or under-engaged, we fear our work won’t be good enough – that we won’t be good enough.
So we either overdo it, or don’t do it at all.
Remember that greatness is not about how much you can do in a day, but how consistent you can be with your efforts. Showing up daily for the things you care about is an achievement in itself, no matter how productive you are.
