In the Here and Now: Why You Need to Stop Living a Distracted Life

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There are way too many distractions in modern life, and they can be deadly. You need to slow down, pay attention, and stop being so distracted. But how? Here’s how.

 

Focus

 

What’s the biggest cause of car accidents? It’s not drinking and driving. It’s actually driving while being distracted. Text messaging. Talking while driving. Fiddling with the radio. Eating. Putting on makeup. Looking at the GPS instead of the road. Watson Goepel, one of the most prominent Vancouver personal injury lawyers often see these cases, and it’s not pretty.

 

Getting into a car accident, or any accident really, is life changing. It’s probably one of the most traumatic experiences you could have.

 

It’s also almost completely avoidable in many cases. They key is to focus. It’s both the simplest and hardest thing to do. Focusing on what you’re doing right now means that you’re not checking your email. You’re not texting. You’re not distracted. It takes practice, but it could save your life.

 

Turn Off Notifications

 

Turn off your notifications. Smart phones are incredibly powerful and helpful. But, they’re also incredibly annoying. They constantly beg for your attention, like a 2 year old. More than that, their “push notifications” constantly interrupt you throughout the day so that you can’t concentrate or focus on what you’re doing. If you get a Facebook notification as you’re crossing a busy street, you’re going to be sorry. Turn them off and enjoy the silence.

 

Read Email Once A Day, Twice On Sunday

 

Read your email only once per day. If you absolutely have to, check it twice. But, leaving your email client open all day only invites distraction. For every distraction you face, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to fully refocus on what you were previously doing. That’s lost time and lost money.

 

Complete 1-2 Minute Projects Immediately

 

Take a page out of David Allen’s program, and take immediate action on projects that only take a minute or two to complete. This helps clutter from building up on your desk, in your inbox, and prevents you from having a mile-long “to do” list.

 

Get Rid Of Clutter

 

Get rid of clutter. Do you have a million papers on your desk? Get rid of them. File them in your inbox or assign them to a project folder. If your office is filled with distractions like superfluous furniture, knickknacks, papers, pens rolling around, or books that you aren’t reading right this very minute, it’s time to organize them.

 

Get Rid Of Services You Don’t Need

 

The Average person watches 30 to 40 hours of T.V. every week. That’s a lot, really. Do you enjoy all of these shows? Maybe, but you probably could get at least as much enjoyment out of doing something else that’s cheaper and less distracting. One of the reasons people watch so much T.V. is because it’s addicting. You sit down to watch a show. It’s over. Now what? It’s easier to sit and wait for the next show to come on than to turn off the T.V. and get up and do something.

 

Solution: Ditch the cable or DirecTV and any other service that’s a source of distraction. Not only will you get more done during the day, you’ll find that your punctuality improves as does your overall sense of self-awareness.

 

 

Guest Blogger: Kristyn Lewis understands the hectic pace of life today. An avid writer, she likes to share her insights with others by posting online. Look for her helpful articles on many of today’s top websites and blogs.