We live in a time with a HUGE abundance of information, knowledge, opportunities and, yes, distractions. There was a time when there were just a few channels in your local TV guide. Now, most cable or satellite television offerings have nearly 1,000 total possible channels depending on your package level.
Overwhelming.
There are also some recent studies that show that too many choices essentially paralyze us from making any decision at all.
And, studies show that our willpower muscles are replenished over time but get quickly depleted by, you guessed it, having to choose among lots of options.
We want options, we’ve got options and daily most of us are drowning and distracted by options.
I’ve been developing a number of habits over time that have helped me better work with this reality without getting drowned by it. I also enjoy working with my clients to build in these same types of habits for themselves. It does take some time to truly identify your main triggers as well as the hook & other habits to protect you from yourself.
I know it can be tough to set aside time for that because, well, you’re already paralyzed with some options for your time right now.
Let’s get down to some basic reminders that you can put in place right here, right now and today. If you choose.
- You will NEVER get it all done – accept this reality and stop losing mental energy to “trying” to do it all
- Regularly exercise the power of “No” to requests and things that are not truly a priority for you today
- Online learning resources and training are still growing, not going away. Quit acting like you MUST do them all right here, right now
- Give your brain the chance to work better and single-task whenever possible – quit deluding yourself into believing YOU alone can multi-task well while others cannot (Hint: plenty of research already proves we don’t multi-task well)
- Take a few mins EACH DAY to do nothing – meditate, sit quietly to let your brain spin down from the frenzy or simply breathe
- START your day quietly and without electronics – write out with pen & paper what your main priorities and intentions are for the day FIRST
- Create better nighttime rituals so that you’re getting roughly 7-9 hours of sleep each night – your body, your brain and your focus need that whether you believe it’s true or not
Which reminder or tip really spoke to you strongly as you read through the list?
Comment below this post and commit to making that ONE bit of wisdom your personal mission for the next 7 days. Build those mental focus habits one at a time – reclaim your life!