Skip to main content

The Art of Blocking Out Distractions

In our culture of multi-tasking, hyper-activity and praise for doing it all, taking the one at a time approach or (gasp) doing nothing at all can make us feel unproductive and unworthy. On the surface we do our damnedest to keep up, catch up, stay afloat and do more than everyone else, but at the heart of it all, we know it’s crazy making.

It’s easy to reflect on the days when everything got done with pride, but don’t forgot about the times when you gave all of your attention to one project, one person, one task. It’s in those one at a time, distraction free moments where your heart opens and the magic happens.




Distraction free living provides an opportunity for

  • your best work

  • the people in your life to be and feel seen and heard

  • you to be completely content

  • time to stand still

  • your body to heal

  • your mind to focus

  • your heart to engage

  • joy

A distraction free life might not always be possible, but creating an environment with less distraction, and distraction free blocks of time will raise your level of engagement and lower stress and overwhelm. A distraction free life is art because you have to create it. It is intentional and made with purpose.

The Art of a Distraction Free Life

1. Shorten your to-do list.

Instead of a notebook full of to-dos, try a 3 or 5 item list. If you are worried about forgetting things, make to-do today list and a to-do tomorrow list. If you finish your 3-5 items, go for a walk or do something just for you instead of jumping into the to-do tomorrow list. Even though you think you’ll catch up or get ahead of things, the reality is that the list keeps growing.

2. Work with passion.

When you get lost in your work because you are so wild about it, distractions slip away. You’ll discover the things you thought were urgent and important are not.


 


3. Be confident about what matters most.

What matters most to you is different from what matters most to me. It’s also very different from what other people think you should think matters most. Trust your heart. You know what matters most. Defend it by giving it all of you.


4. Turn everything off.

Distractions come from all directions, but most frequently from digital devices. Turn them all off when you are working or engaging in something meaningful.


5. Ditch passive email checking.

What’s the point of checking email if you aren’t ready to respond? Instead of passively watching email come in all day, set a 20 minute block to get in, respond briefly and get out. Repeat as needed.


6. Under schedule.

Just because there are 24 hours in a day, doesn’t mean you have to fill that time with obligations and commitments. Leave blocks of time with nothing to do.

7. Give in to joy.

If something joyful is tugging at your arm, or your heart, give in. Let the email wait. Leave the dishes in the sink and check your voice mail tomorrow. Deny the distractions and make right now all about joy.


Jodie xxx


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to Treat Homemaking Like a Job

  1| Know your purpose/why: Being successful in a career means knowing your passion and chasing it. It also involves developing powerful habits and acquiring knowledge along with an optimistic outlook that makes you more efficient at work. The same goes for homemaking. You need to be so passionate that people start respecting your job. But before that, know if homemaking is for you? You’re only going to enjoy something if you are passionate about it. You are likely to do better at things you enjoy. If homemaking is something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.   2| Appreciate your job expectations: In a professional job, you’re aware of what your employer is seeking. To achieve success at work, you work hard, be productive, and fulfill all the skills listed in your job description. You learn the mission and goals of the organization. And do your utmost to achieve the goals and help the business attain its mission. In the same manner, first, be aware of what is expe...

Common Incenses and their uses

16 Common Incenses and their uses Posted by Jodie Incense is one of the more common magical tools. Many practitioners use incense for nearly every magical act, from simple meditations to elaborate rituals. It’s not that its a very powerful or versatile tool, but it is a fairly useful one. Incense utilizes our sense of smell to help align both the practitioner and the area in which it is burned with a desired mood and energy. Some common uses for incense include: -In spellwork and ritual incense is often burned to help raise energy, adjust the energy of the area, and/or  aid the practitioner in achieving trance. -In meditation incense is burned to help the practitioner achieve states of clarity, focus, and/or calm. -Incense is often used as an aid to achieve astral projection and lucid dreaming. -In cleansings and exorcisms incense is burned to purify or sanctify an area. -Preferable incense can be burned to attract certain types of entities to an area, wh...

How To Get And Stay Inspired

  Take These simple Ideas to Get and Stay Inspired     Change Your Attitude Take notice of the specific times and events that make you feel inspired. Try and take the same attitude as you had at those times and apply it to everyday life no matter what you are doing. Don’t put off goals and dreams and find excuses.  START NOW!  Set goals for yourself everyday.     Choose It Some days we don’t feel inspired.  Life happens and things can happen to make you feel unmotivated.  Go looking for inspiration because it won’t always find you. Use your power to press on.  Defeat your unmotivated-ness!    Make Goals and Actually Do them When you make a list of goals, it’s not always easy to do them.  You  may end up doing nothing at all, even though you felt inspired when you wrote your list. Create specific, concrete steps to actually achieve your goals.    Don’t wait until later Don’t put your happinesss and goals on h...