Manage Distractions for Professional, Personal Growth

Distractions. They can be a blessing, and also a curse. When we are trying to focus on accomplishing a goal, distractions can keep us from crossing the finish line. But when we are dealing with an unpleasant or unhappy situation, we may seek out distractions to keep us from thinking about or dealing with what is happening.

It’s never been easier to distract ourselves. We live in a world that values us being hyperactive. We’re tied to our phones 24/7, and many of us are tethered to our computers more than 40 hours a week.   

Part of the reason is the feeling that we always need to be productive. That may explain why sensible, reasonable people who should know better text and drive, dangerously multitasking when they are behind the wheel. They feel they always have to respond when someone is trying to reach them.

The key is learning how to manage distractions. Psychologist Dr. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence said, “One way to boost our willpower and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us.”

If distractions are keeping you from accomplishing a goal at work, it’s up to you to exercise that willpower and try to prioritize. If a task doesn’t get you closer to your goal, then dump it, delegate it, or deal with it as quickly as possible so you can return to activities that will help you accomplish your goal.

As John Coleman wrote in “Faced with Distraction, We Need Willpower,” Harvard Business Review Blog Network, “Want to grow your business or get that promotion at work?  Cultivating willpower may be your quickest route to success.”

Seeking out distractions to distance ourselves from something unpleasant or difficult can be helpful. But only up to a point. Let’s say your youngest child is going to college and you’re planning a wonderful trip for you and your spouse next fall. Or maybe you’ve recently retired. You bought a new car and have planned to travel up and down the East Coast, visiting friends and relatives.

Those are both wonderful ideas and can help ease the transition to a new phase of life. Problems arise, however, when you work so hard to distract yourself that you fail to deal with your new reality. I’ve seen people overload themselves with activities because it’s just too painful to accept that they no longer have a job that gave them companionship and a purpose every day. Or because their child is off at college and the house feels empty without them.

While these new activities can be part of a healthy and productive new life, the trick is to make sure they aren’t distracting you from dealing with a painful transition. As Sigmund Freud said, “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.” Although it’s never fun, dealing with those emotions and transitions can lead us to a more rewarding stage in life.

If you’re frenzied with activity all the time, it’s easy to distract from your emotions, but paying attention to how we feel can give us wisdom and guidance about what we need to do to make our life better.  If we’re active all the time, we may make choices that are not healthy.  Learn to manage your distractions, so they don’t manage you.

David Geller is author of Wealth and Happiness: Using Your Wealth to Create a Better Life.  He is the CEO of Atlanta-based GV Financial Advisors and is available for professional speaking engagements.