In grade school, we learned about Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. Newton’s third law basically says that for every action there is an opposite but equal reaction. This got me to thinking about the things we encounter when we decide to put our ideas and plans into motion. At times, we get frustrated and irritated when things don’t go as we hoped or planned. Recalling Newton’s third law of motion sheds some light into the WHY behind some of the negative or frustrating things we experience on the road to becoming our best self or the road to pursuing our purpose.
As you move towards your purpose or goals, there will be distractions working against what you are trying to accomplish. It’s natural so don’t let them get the best of you. The sole purpose of a distraction is to turn your focus and attention away from something; to detour you. A distraction is basically saying “if I can get you off course, I can divert or prolong your arrival”.
If we fully grasp that distractions come as an equal and opposite force to what we are trying to accomplish, then we should be more intentional about becoming less vulnerable to them. Understand that the more positive energy you put into moving forward, the more distractions will come to try to turn you in the opposite direction to keep you from moving forward. For this reason, you need to become efficient at recognizing a distraction so you can minimize the impact of it.
You may not always realize when you are being distracted because some distractions you may not classify as a distraction. A distraction can be something that you enjoy doing as well as something that frustrates, irritates, or worry you. Note that a distraction doesn’t always come from other people and things (external sources). Distractions can be internal as well; you can distract yourself with your own thoughts, feelings, or idiosyncrasies. Anything that diverts your attention from a desired area of focus is a distraction. The following are some characteristics of a distraction:
- May manipulate or stir up emotions; which may distort your receptivity to information
- Disrupts or interrupts your thinking and concentration
- Turn you away from what’s important
- Stop progress or prolong the delivery of something (every time you get caught up in a distraction you are losing time or halting/prolonging an outcome).
- Take focus off priorities
Now that you understand that distractions are just a normal part of the process on your journey to becoming the best you or fulfilling your purpose, you must become effective at recognizing them, and then turning away from them. Basically, you must think of yourself as a yo-yo. Once you realize you have been thrown into a distraction, just say “it’s just a distraction”, then roll yourself right back out of it, don’t linger in it. Remember Newton’s third law of motion and recall the purpose of a distraction … to detour or prolong your arrival to your next level.