Distracting Your Distracted Mind

Pausing, procrastinating, distracting yourself from the matter at hand. That task you know is going to move the needle, that's going to make an impact.

But you don't do it.

Why?

It feels uncomfortable.

There is an invisible barrier, a wall of unease. A fog between you and the thing you want to get done.

It feels hard.

So you avoid it. 

It’s not conscious.

It's your default, habitual conditioning. Those little numbskulls who operate the mechanics of your mind. With their hands on the controls, they direct you to laundry, writing lists, adding stuff to your Amazon basket, and checking the news. Anything other than the actual task.

They are protecting you from that invisible wall of discomfort.

They reinforce the idea that it will be complicated.

So you don't try.

You don't override the numbskulls. 

The hands of the clock keep turning, and with it, they close the curtain on the possibility of getting it done today.

"I will do it tomorrow."

You want to do it. You know you should. You will feel great when you do.

Now? Now, you feel guilty.

You hope the guilt will force you into action tomorrow. You will start the day with a new level of conviction and clarity.

But tomorrow looks a lot like today.

The sunsets, and the page is still empty, the screen still blank. The unchecked item on the to-do list gets carried over to the next day.

You feel weak in the face of your distracting habits. The numbskulls won the day. 

Does this sound familiar? Or is it just me?

Tomorrow Arrived Today

Today, I woke up with a weighty, heavy feeling of guilt. I know I am not focusing. I am not getting the things I want to get done, done.

What is wrong? There is a problem I need to fix, and once I do, I can move forward with the task.

And I realize.

The numbskulls are creating another distraction. Another barrier between me and the task. A nice detour down a branch of learning. It will make me feel like I am doing something, but I am still not doing the task.

And I realize.

I have a choice.

I can focus my energy on trying to fix the problem of being distracted, or I can get up and get on with the task.

"I am not going to spend today being the person who feels shit about not doing the things I should be doing in the hope it makes me do them."

Today, I am going back to neutral.

A reset.

A new page.

And in that resolve, a question arises, one that is full of possibility.

“What do I want to create today? What do I want to do?”

I chose to ignore the problem of distraction - it is what it is, and while there is a part of my brain that laments inaction, I know it's not going to serve me to ponder it.

It's a distraction.

I will distract my distracted mind, fight fire with fire, and focus on the task.

I don't feel like it. It doesn't matter.

I experience the discomfort. It doesn't matter.

I feel the uncertainty, the doubt. I question myself. It doesn't matter.

I sit down and finally write this article. Long overdue. It feels good and poetic. The words flow, and my sense of power returns. I can do this. I want to commit. I want to strengthen my resolve against those numbskulls of distraction and be creative, productive, and daring.

The Power of Will

It's a lack of willpower. It’s not a lack of awareness. I know what's happening. I notice it. For me, it's an inability to take leadership over my mind, and my habits, to put the distraction-loving numbskulls back in the closet.

I know what I want to do. I want to create, I know it might be uncomfortable, but I can't keep getting in my own way.

Every moment of the day is full of possibility and potential. It doesn't matter what happened in the moment that preceded it. You don't have to write the whole day off. In every moment, you have the potential to take command of yourself and who you want to BE. You get to write the rest of the day, one moment at a time.

If you are distracted or procrastinating over a task, take a breath. Reset for a moment. Go inside your mind, check in, and ask yourself. What do I want to do with the next moment when I open my eyes?

Reset. Reclaim your power. Use your will to take command of your numbskulls and get it done.

With love

Mel