Our world is becoming increasingly filled with distraction. Information moves faster, louder, and brighter than ever before. Entertainment, social media, and marketing have never been so prevalent. They beg for our attention and our focus. In so doing, our minds are diverted from more important work.
We would be wise to adopt principles that help us live less distracted.
However, these distractions are easy to notice. We readily admit that we spend too much time checking e-mail, watching television, or playing games on our phone. After all, the battle plays out in front of us each day.
Far more detrimental to our lives are the subtle distractions that quietly surround us. They are not announced with blinking lights or beeping sounds. In fact, they have become so commonplace and ever-present, we hardly even notice their existence. But these distractions take residence in our mind and wreak havoc on our pursuits. And in the end, they keep us from living our lives to their greatest potential.
Consider this list of 9 ever-present distractions that often keep us from fully living. And recognize if any have taken residence in your heart.
1. The Promise of Tomorrow. Joshua Glenn Clark said it like this, “We waste so many days waiting for the weekend. So many nights wanting morning. Our lust for future comfort is the biggest thief of life.” It is not entirely foolish to look toward the future and plan accordingly. However, when we endure our days only for the sake of tomorrow (the weekend, the vacation, or the retirement), we miss out on the full beauty and potential of the present.
2. The Pursuit of Perfection. We ought to pursue excellence and pride in all we do. Our next step forward should be the right next step and it should be taken with as much intention as possible. But doing our best and achieving perfection are rarely the same. When perfection becomes the goal, it becomes the enemy of progress—and in this way, it often distracts us from taking the essential risk of moving forward.
3. The Regret of Yesterday. To live is to experience regret—nobody escapes life unscathed. We regret our actions, our decisions, and our motivations. But no amount of regret can ever change the past and only those who have come to recognize and admit their imperfections are able to move beyond them. Call your mistakes what they are, offer an apology when necessary, and then move on. Don’t allow regret from the past to negatively distract from opportunity in the present.
4. The Accumulation of Possessions. The things we own require our time, our energy, our money, and our attention. Every increased possession adds increased stress in our lives. And yet, we continue to pursue and accumulate more and more and more. But more is not the answer. More has become the distraction.
5. The Desire for Wealth. Those who chase riches have misplaced their greatest potential and traded it to the highest bidder. Our lives were designed for contribution—to provide a positive impact on society for ourselves, our families, and those who live in community with us. Sometimes, our contribution provides financial excess. Other times, it does not. But either way, when our contribution to society becomes chiefly motivated by a selfish desire to accumulate riches, it has become self-focused. And we have lost our opportunity to live it to the fullest.
6. The Need for Notoriety. The life you live is the life you live regardless if anybody notices or not. Those who live lives focused on the need to be recognized for it are usually the first to take shortcuts to get there. Instead, find significance in the eyes of those who know you best—because in the end, that is all that matters anyway.
7. The Pull of Comparison. It seems, by nature, we feel compelled to compare our lives to the people around us. We compare our belongings, our appearance, our families, and our successes. But each time we do, we place our focus and energy on the wrong person. Comparing yourself to others will always cause you to regret what you are not, rather than allow you to enjoy and grow who you are.
8. The Appeal of Pleasure. Many of us are led astray by the appeal and pursuit of pleasure. “Why not?” we might ask, “what is wrong with the pursuit of pleasure?” And I might even agree, at least to a point. But here’s the problem, pleasure is a terrible teacher. The most significant lessons we learn in life are rarely received during times of pleasure. Instead, they are born out of pain. I am not contending that we should seek pain in our lives. But I am contending a life lived chiefly for the pursuit of pleasure, will usually seek it in all the wrong places.
9. The Presence of Indifference. The world is a big place and we have much to offer. Those who choose to live life as a victim will always miss their opportunity to give. Additionally, those who choose to adopt an indifference to the world around them will miss out on their greatest potential. But those who recognize need and seek to do something about it, experience a joy and fulfillment that can never be discovered anywhere else.
Our world is full of distraction—the most dangerous are those we do not recognize.
But our fullest potential requires that we notice distraction—and work diligently to overcome it. (tweet that)
Al says
Great post, enjoyed reading it – I think most people can identify with each point!
I’m trying to be more mindful of living in the present, rather than wishing for tomorrow and regretting the past. At the end of the day the past and the future are an illusion, they only exist in your mind.
Linda Samuels says
What a beautiful post, Joshua! Such important reminders to keep us focused on what is truly important. It’s all too easy to get pulled in directions that are harmful to our well-being.
missravniac says
Hi there,
I have recently started my minimalism journey and started a blog to track my progress. In my first post, I have pictures of my room and closet. My room is very messy as I have started decluttering. As I’m new, it will be great if you guys could give me some advice. My blog is https://lightminimalism.wordpress.com/
Thank you
Ari Herzog says
Segueing off #4 and #7, I was talking to my friend Michelle who told me about a Japanese woman, Marie Kondo, who wrote a book and created some online videos about the art of folding clothes. She doesn’t stack vertically but horizontally. I asked her why she cared about how someone folded clothes differently and was not removing extraneous clothes, e.g. the reverse hangar test. Michelle laughed at me because she knew I was right.
Switch says
Thank you for this post. I see myself in so many of these “distractions,” as I struggle with regrets (past mistakes), self-doubt (current mistakes), and worry (future mistakes).
While perhaps a “subcategory” of some others (Pursuit of Perfectionism), I think that the Indecision could be its own “distraction” on this list. Far too often, I find myself mired in over-analysis, over-planning, over-thinking every option and choice, like my own personal J. Alfred Prufrock Syndrome. I am not sure what is important to me, or what to do, or what is worth my time and attention, as time and life continue to pass by. I am constantly distracted by the desire to re-evaluate what I am doing, and re-consider why I am doing it, constantly fearful that I am wasting my time, attention, and life on the wrong thing. I find it challenging to bring the “deliberations” to an end, make a decision, and stick to the decision made.
Without decision and action, there is no way to “live in the moment” because the moment never comes, or we miss it entirely, while measuring our lives in coffee spoons.
Graham says
I am much like this too. My biggest struggle is regret when I look at my life and feel like I have not done anything. It feels like I have wasted it away. I can feel the pressure of culture, society, etc. heavily weighing down on me to do something, make my mark, etc. Doing nothing and just being is reserved for monks in far off lands, not the go go go culture of america. I have a hard time participating in anything because I can always trace it back to feeding this system that I rail against. I know that is counter- productive as well. I over analyze to the point of driving myself into no action as life passes me by, constantly finding myself envious of others that so easily can grind their lives away working at what I consider boring pointless jobs that have little meaning. If I could only stick my head in the sand…
Maria says
Thank you for this post. This was very timely as my husband considers a new job offer which will causes some changes in our lives. We are moving forward, even if the next step does not give us “perfection.” Also, I appreciated being reminded to live a meaningful life for me, my family, and my community, first and foremost, and not to worry so much about what people think or keeping up with the Joneses.
Mark Tong says
Hey Joshua – such a great post – I really feel you’ve nailed the key things that stop us being happy in the present. The only slight personal quibble might have is with no. 8 – the appeal of pleasure. As my family are mostly French, they view pleasure in a different way to Brits and Americans – more in line with Epicurus perhaps :)
Judy says
I’m sure on some level, everyone struggles with all of the above. The Regret of Yesterday was always a big one for me. The Pull of Comparison was most painful. Sometimes we are way too hard on ourselves. I’m in a good place now…but when struggling with any one of the 1-9—it’s hard. I remind myself that I am not perfect, just forgiven. I try not to think about these horrible times. What we do today is what matters most. :)
Sunny says
I am rapidly becoming a fan of your blog. Great message. Shared it with my Twitter friends. Today I will focus on #3 and throw away my rear-view mirror.
kariane says
These are so true. When I find myself with my thoughts running in circles about future or past things (in ways that become non-productive), I remind myself that “Right now is the moment. Right now is life!” It helps to bring me back into the present.