Embrace harmless distractions

- I teach that it's important to avoid switches, to avoid having your attention constantly pulled in lots of different directions. But is there ever a moment when these little diversions can actually be healthy and helpful? I'm talking about harmless distractions, things that are little vices, like watching videos online or spending time in social media, or even just playing the occasional video game. Now, what we want to do is give these things a place but that isn't excessive.

We do not want to say that these things are forbidden. Because making something forbidden actually creates a tendency for it to become more addictive and for you to spend more time in it. For example, I once worked with a business owner who, when we analyzed his time, it turned out that he was spending 20 hours every week, in the workplace, playing a video game. He thought that I would tell him, "You need to stop playing that video game." but instead, what I suggested, was that we scheduled time in his week to play the game.

Five hours a week, which was much more reasonable. And it helped him actually recharge his batteries and do more because he had a little break. So I'd like you to consider for a moment, what's a harmless little distraction that perhaps you're spending too much time in? How much would be a more reasonable amount of time for you to spend in it? Then, after you come up with that number, perhaps you used to spend five hours a week on social media, and you say, maybe I should spend three instead.

Schedule those three hours in your week. Create a recurring pattern of when you're going to engage in that activity. Then test that schedule out for two weeks, and see what the results are. If necessary, make adjustments. Perhaps reduce the amount of time, perhaps add a little more time, change the schedule, whatever little changes you need to make to incorporate these harmless distractions into your day, so that they become something that helps you have more energy, rather than steal your focus.