Ever think you needed to do something and then got distracted by someone or something on social media?
Have you ever been overcome with worry so you froze and just stood and stared into space not sure what to do about a problem?
Did you ever spend a day at the shopping mall using a card buying purchases you can’t afford trying to impress someone or improve your status or to make you feel better about some problem in your life?
It’s stand to reason that the Distraction, Worry and Excess mindset concentration could be described as a trifecta that exacerbates many of our problems and that actually effects our ability to get things done.
Let’s face facts there are Distractions all around us. Television, movies, social media, friends and even family can leave us frustrated when our day ends without anything done.
It is important to think about other things that can affect us such as living situation and daily habits. Many things we spend our day doing can be positive or negative.
Social media can be good if we are using it to connect and promote ideas but it can be a distraction if we are posting everything we do all day long. Friends and family can be helpful but they can also get in the way or not be supportive.
What is the one thing we can do? Write it down as a Distraction. Label it as a distraction and call it out.. Limit your time on all escapist entertainment endeavors. Think about other more quality time pursuits you can engage in. Say to yourself do I want to spend my day being distracted? Well let’s rephrase that because that might be too tempting. Think to yourself do I want to spend my day doing (enter distraction here) that doesn’t do anything to help me in my life?
What about that constant worrying about money or lack there of. Do you spend time worrying if you are going to be able to pay your bills? Or worrying about your future? The only problem is worrying about something doesn’t do anything. Worry doesn’t do anything except take up time you could be actually doing something.
Here is a simple suggestion. When you worry about something think of a solution immediately. Call it a knee jerk reaction problem (knee jerk solution). For example, I could say I have money problems so why not be a mascot on the side. Terrible solution but the point is I am already thinking about how to solve problem.
It allows you to think proactive.
Lastly let’s not forget the less known sneaky factor called Excesses. In our society we have this obsession with possessions. Getting more stuff. It may make you feel like you have status or help impress somebody but it doesn’t get you a career or doesn’t help you move closer to your goals. It leaves you more in debt not able to pay bills.
Simple solution is live more simply, live a minimalist lifestyle and think about what you really need. Can you afford that apartment, do you need to get a smaller one. Maybe you need to get roommates or get a different job because it is taking too much time.
Yes, worries and excesses can go hand in hand.
Here is a simple exercise that can help with all three. In this Exercise, write down on a piece of paper Distractions, Worries and Excesses on one side of the page. Give yourself room to think of different examples. Draw a line separating each category. And then draw a line down the middle of the page. On the other side, write down solutions or what can you do about it. What should you spend more time on.
The point of this is to get you to recognize what are the distractions, worries and excesses in your life. And you get to make the personal decision on how you will combat them.
See, there is a way to combat this Trifecta and minimize its daily headache towards becoming the most proactive version of yourself possible.
About the author: Edgar Rider has come up with a system to combat distractions, worries and excesses based on his own personal struggles. He believes calling out these unproductive pursuits is a good first step in overcoming production obstacles. He has written about education, marketing and social media and is a guest rotary speaker.
