Oh, the progress you’d make if you weren’t involved in mask politics, conspiracies and bickering over current events.
(Facepalm, this is getting embarrassing.)
I posted this yesterday after my friend Seth asked me:
What are you seeing as the biggest issue with people right now?
And it was simple:
Distraction is robbing people of growth.
Distraction is robbing people of progress.
Distraction is robbing people of meaning.
And ultimately —distraction is leading to emotional anxiety, total confusion and the loss of agency.
The truth is:
There has never been a more important time to focus on what matters —and protect your mental real estate.
So, how do you do this?
1. Get clear on specific priorities for the rest of 2020.
I call this the “Big 3” —three clear, vivid, detailed priorities. Essentialism is the pursuit of less, not more.
2. Take inventory of what’s stealing your attention.
Make a list of everything that makes you feel worse —scrolling, binging on television at night, etc and then start deleting.
3. Start every morning on Airplane mode.
At least 30 minutes, but push for 60, 90 or 120. This sends a message to the world —you are in control of the 6 inches of real estate between your ears.
4. Complete a morning ritual to set the tone for the day.
You won’t “drift” or “stumble” your way to clarity or momentum, but you can create it. Even if you feel 10% better —isn’t that worth your time and energy? Any morning routine can work…if you work it.
5. Focus on one needle-mover —could be business, creative, etc.
Progress is more motivating than money, accolades or praise. Write the chapter. Create the sales page. Make an offer. Get rejected. Make a bold pitch! Put yourself out there.
6. Leave the cult of “busy” —and instead be prioritized.
We live in a culture that wears “busy” like a badge of honor and yet has never been more stuck. I don’t let my clients use this word, rather, we seek to live a prioritized life.
7. Delete apps off your phone, go greyscale, banish notifications.
You have to go to the extremes —Taylor and I bought a lockbox to put our phones in that is inaccessible. Make it unavailable. You don’t need to check email upon waking up.
8. Pick up old hobbies to replace screen time.
Remember that thing you used to love doing and said you had no time for? Now is the time to pick up the guitar, re-kindle your love of cooking, read literary greats, watch the documentary that inspires you.
9. Surround yourself with people who are lifting you up.
The naysayers, critics and trolls love times of chaos —it’s their time to enroll others. Don’t let them get to you. Rise up. Be the leader. Be a role model. Be a voice of reason, an example to someone else.
I share these with you —because here’s what I’m seeing:
This “great pause” is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break the cycle of our daily lives —and get clear.
It is a chance to reflect.
It is a chance to get clear.
It is a chance to be honest.
And so many are wasting it away, giving their mental real estate to Zuck’s algorithms, to misinformation and pseudo-influencers and hacks who live in their parent’s basement and got a “download” about the end of the world.
(I wish I was kidding.)
Personally, when I was living in denial and fear —which is knowing you’re living a life that isn’t for you but choosing to stay in it every single day:
I devoured Fantasy Football news.
I crushed sports talk radio all day.
I watched 20 hours of TV weekly.
Is there anything wrong with those?
No —but I wasn’t where I wanted to be, I was out of alignment and clearly things were not “working.”
Distraction isn’t about getting more “done” —it’s about your physical, mental and emotional sanity.
I’d say that’s pretty important right now, wouldn’t you?
