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)
Keyonna Divine says
Very deep. This is a great article. Just wanted to leave you some appreciation. Thank you!!!!!
Ahmed Ginani says
This article is just awesome!
You described real distractions that are hidden from our eyes.
Thank you so much for elaborated description.
Collins P says
Spot on. And, yes, distractions can take us away as ocean waves remove the shells to disperse them. I have always aimed for the perfection in everything, and I eventually realized that on this day that my being “carefree in spirit” made me often feel Not good enough. Thanks, Mr. Becker.
H Collum says
So many good reasons why we are attracted to the distractions, thanks!
Vicki Garff says
Thank you. Your words truly resonate with me. They are often our topic of discussion at dinner.
Glenn says
Excellent article.
Nancy England says
What about the overwhelming sense of “demotivation”. I waste days looking online other people’s creativity to inspire me, does not work and I know it. I don’t feel depressed, more like bored or deflated…
If you have anything to suggest, I would appreciate it
Chris says
Nancy England, I’m in the same boat…not much motivation, look online at others to inspire me. Get all hyped up, but then do nothing and/or go to my distractions – social media, listening to music, looking online for my next vacation, alcohol to numb my brain.
From what I see, it takes hard work to be happy……and like Dan Pena says, we dont want to work for it. Its a hard pill to swallow, but I find its true for most people, which includes me
The Silent K says
I learned that we need to stop looking outside of us for answers to the problems within us. As humans, we all have a brain. The brain receives messages from the senses, which gather information from the environment on a constant basis, interpret these signals, and causes the body to respond chemically or physically. So lets say your online looking for others to inspire you, you get all hyped up and then are interrupted by the a thought that says there is nothing to do. Maybe its from something internally that your body is responding to. Let’s say you keep thinking about this thought that there is nothing to do until it takes over your mind. It will take you to the prepared behavioral patterns that you have connected to “there is nothing to do” which arise when you look for inspiration online, along with all the logical and emotional perceptions that you take in (distractions and/or alcohol). ” Lets look online for inspiration. (thought): Dang, there’s nothing to do! Let’s go get a drink/open social media/listen to music, because if I don’t, I will get depressed and feel stuff I don’t want to”.
Look man, I can’t give you any advice. I can only tell you what I learned myself from listening to many other intellectual people. I don’t think any of us will ever BE HAPPY. What is happy? Lets say you have an image of what your life would be like if you were happy, how do you know you will really be happy when you get all that? Forget happiness man, all we can do is aim at a goal and work every day towards that goal, in order to reduce our suffering in life.
How do you expect to be creative if you are looking outside of you, or numbing your brain.
Eco-psychologist Michael J Cohen points out, “we are all sensory creatures and that our human senses are a large part of who we are. Our senses are given to us not to be indulged, to be playthings or for decoration, but are mechanisms originally designed to help us survive and thrive in the natural world.
Because life in the “developed” world is now so confined (Americans for instance spend an average of 95% of their lives indoors) our senses have little to do and consequently become either atrophied or over-sensitive, which in turn leads to many of the common ailments of today’s existence, such as stress, anxiety and depression.
Next time you’re out and about go somewhere new or take a new route. Concentrate on what you experience, not just the smells and sounds but all the sensations: cold, hungry, expectant, nervous… Go on, forget about indulging your senses and think more about exercising them.”
Despite all this, you can also believe that we are prisoners to our minds and oppose my opinion. I am only here to share what I know and hopefully lead you to make your own conclusion.
Carol hansen says
Thanks so much for this article, so good! And a great list to refer back to. I think we can all find our lives distracted at times, usually oh so subtlety, a little comparison here or regret there. Distractions can slowly nudge us away from our true heart felt purpose and desires in life without us even being aware of it. I so appreciate your wisdom and encouragement. Thank you
Clive Goddard says
We are so attracted to distractions !
Jennifer Gallivan says
I agree with all 9
My #10 would be The Power of Forgiveness.
The ability to truly forgive the wrongs of another and move on is mind blowingly increadible for ones soul!
Suzy Toronto says
Yes, the power of forgiveness. I love that quote about “accepting the apology you will never get!”