Okay, so I'm going to preface this by saying that I recently have been so uninspired and had absolutely no idea what type of post I wanted to write for my blog. I would sit down and start typing something up and then get like one or two paragraphs in and delete it all because I straight up hated it. I have really been wanting to post a lot more, but nothing was coming to my mind that felt even remotely interesting to write about, and I didn't want to force it. That was until I picked up my new favorite book and FINALLY got some inspo.
First things first, all my ladies out there NEED to read Own Your Everyday by Jordan Lee Wooley. This book has completely altered my way of thinking and allowed me to really understand exactly what I need to be doing in order to align with my God-given purpose, and I truly cannot put it down. For all my men out there, sorry to say, it's a tad girly, so instead of telling you to read it I will highlight something I recently read that really stood out to me.
Lately, I have been letting distraction get the absolute best of me. I have completely put off all of my important priorities and have been procrastinating ten times worse than I normally do. And for anyone who actually knows me, you know I am a terrible procrastinator as is and really cannot afford to get any worse. For reference of how bad it currently is...let's just say I'm about 4 weeks behind on some VERY important projects that my final grade relies on in order to complete my Bachelor's. Yes, bad. I know. But, this is all because I get so easily distracted. I would much rather do something that is going to make me happy solely in that present moment, like watch Netflix or mindlessly scroll through TikTok, then even think about the consequences that little decision may have after the fact.
Before tonight, I had taken about a week off from reading my book, mainly because I was distracted by other things (shocker right?). But, tonight I felt inclined to pick it up because I just had this feeling I was going to read something I needed to hear. Sure enough, I opened it up to my bookmarked page, and the chapter I left off at was literally titled "Overcoming Distraction with Discipline." If that wasn't a sign from God, I don't know what is.
As I began reading the chapter, she was basically speaking right to my soul. She talked about how if she didn't go to the grocery store with a very in depth list of everything she needed, she would get easily distracted and find herself standing in the cookie aisle buying shit she doesn't need. Hello....ME (except I prefer ice cream over cookies). But then she went on to discuss how when we get distracted by what looks good, rather than staying focused on what is actually good for us, the wise decisions we intend to make go completely out the window, which is always costly.
She then went on to talk about how we have so many options available to us now than ever before, which is a huge blessing, HOWEVER, it also causes us to feel overwhelmed by information overload or by the burden of choices. This is why in our day and age, living our purpose can seem so much more difficult. It's not because we have a lack of opportunities, it's because we actually have an endless amount. However, the true challenge is trying to figure out what to pay attention to and where to invest our time and energy. I know for me, this is exactly where I struggle. I have always been pretty conscious of the things I spend my time and energy on in terms of people and relationships, but, when it comes to the tasks I should be focusing on to complete certain goals, this is where shit gets a little complicated. I'm the type of girl that will spend all day on the lake when she has 2 papers due at midnight, then start them at 7 pm and cry the whole evening because I'm so stressed and overwhelmed. Basically, I am the queen of distraction.
Whether you've spent time reading the Bible or not, I think majority of us have heard the proverb that says "Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." This is obviously 100% true. If everything flows from our heart, then whatever we put into our hearts and minds will also directly relate to how we live our life. If you fill your heart with hate and negative energy, and you will live a very unhappy life. If you fill your heart with love and gratitude, you will live a much more prosperous life. When we are conscious about the things we pay attention to and what we pour our energy into, we make much better decisions and have very little room to let distractions run our lives. "Distractions make me a consumer of the world rather than a contributor to the world. But the contributors are the ones who change the world."
So, now I bet you're all like "okay, so how tf do I prevent myself from getting distracted in a world full of freaking distractions?" Well friend let me tell you what I learned during my reading. A distraction action plan. It involves figuring out what your main distractions are, implementing a decision making strategy, and making a list. It requires us to be more self-aware, which I truly feel is an important trait to have, especially in today's times. When we are more self-aware, we are more disciplined. We understand the things we need to do in order to be more happy and successful, and can quickly identify the choices that most likely will not be beneficial to us at all.
In the instance that we feel tempted to succumb to distraction, she introduced a tool called the 10-10-10 rule that was created by an author and speaker named Suzy Welch. This concept forces us to ask ourselves 3 simple questions before committing to something or devoting our time to it:
"What will be the consequence of this decision in 10 minutes?"
"In 10 weeks?"
"In 10 years?"
When you put it into that perspective, it really allows you to only focus on the things that truly matter and look at your life in the long term. I seriously wish I knew about this concept beforehand, because I truly could have saved myself from a lot of shit. However, now I know that next time I feel inclined to distract myself from a project or priority by scrolling mindlessly through my socials or going out with my friends, I can ask myself if this will make both present me and future me feel good.
Lastly, having a list, a guide, or just little reminders to keep you on track is key. I don't know about ya'll, but I seriously make lists all the time. I literally cannot go to the grocery store with out one and I will not get my tasks done unless I make a to-do list. If I don't make some sort of list, it's basically a guarantee that I will not get my shit done on time and will just allow myself to continuously get distracted. Having a guide to refer to when distractions sneak in is essential for keeping your mind-set towards fulfilling your purpose in check.
So, in the future, anytime I begin to feel overwhelmed and feel like there are just too many distractions, I will ask myself, "how does this specific decision support or stifle my bigger goal?" If it doesn't support the person I want to become or align with my bigger goals...bitch BYE.
I advise you all to do the same :)