In my previous post I talked about the number one ‘secret’ of successful online business owners – effective Distraction management – the opposite of which is the major hindrance for unsuccessful business owners – poor Distraction management with a capital D.
Now the question is, what are you going to do about it? A famous quote from the Holy Book says,”You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free”. But that is, “…Only if you put the truth you know to action”. Just knowing what the problem is, isn’t going to make it go away.
A short story
During my six months industrial attachment in 2005, at an Oil and Gas company here in Lagos, one of the workers will always complain about how demanding the job is, how unappreciative the management is and how nothing on this planet will stop him from quitting this annoying job in few months time. He knew how much the company was taking from them, the workers, and how little compensation they get in return. He was so passionate about it that he talks about it literally every other day.
I visited the company after my youth service in 2008, and guess what? This man was still working at this same company. When I asked him how the work was going, guess the first thing he said, “Well, I’m just tired of the job. I’m waiting for the right time to leave and start something on my own”.
We are all guilty at one time or the other
Most of us are not different from this man. You know the time you spend on TV, Video games, Social media and so on, are not taking you any close to your goals. You know reading that celebrity gossip, following all the mishaps in society is not helping you in ways tangible (except you have a business/career around it). You know all that time you spend obsessing about football (it’s easy to offend people here) is not adding any tangible value to your life. Yet you just can’t put a calibrator to it, and prioritize your activities. You’ll rather be playing the world’s favorite game –Distraction – than go after what really matters to you.
This is human nature by default; we are all victims in one way or the other. But I have learned that if you are not ready to consciously and consistently take more control of your life, no one will suddenly hand it over to you. Rather, more people will come along, feed you with more distractions and make you feel like it’s the right thing to do.
How do you deal with Distractions
To deal with distractions, and focus more of your time and effort on what is important, here is the step I have and continue to take and you will find helpful:
- Understand what it have cost you in the past – you could have done better if you had spent more time on productive activities in the past than all that time seeking fickle amusement and information. Don’t dwell on it or beat yourself up. Accept it’s in the past and that you are responsible for how your life transpires from now on.
- Decide what you want to achieve from your busines or any venture for that matter
- Only seek information and activities that will bring you closer to achieving your goals
- Focus on completing one task at a time and only seek and consume information necessary to accomplish your task at hand.
- Note who and where to get more reliable and useful information for future reference – even if you have to pay for it.
- Do not consume content just because you feel you ought to or because you feel the need to keep up to date or be entertained.
Spend less time consuming and more time producing.
Our generation is one that deliberately craves for more distractions. We anticipate distraction, celebrate them and even evangelize distractions. Most will rather watch, read or do something just for temporary amusement than read to educate and enlighten their mind.
99% of what you consume every day; on television, radio, magazines, chat, conversations, social media, blogs and websites – is either entertainment or a distraction from what you should be doing if you want to meet goals.
Why do most people deliberately crave for distraction?
Simply because of lack of direction and purpose. People with a sense of direction and purpose are inclined to constantly seek those things that will bring them closer to their goals. We were made to believe that more information will solve our problems, so that you can keep yourself busy looking for random information wherever it seems you can find it. The world is playing a Game on you and you are losing.
If you want to get something done, you have to stop the craze for more information and start focusing on action and result. The purpose of education is to take action.
I’m not advocating to not seek to be entertained or relax – far from it. What I am saying, and if you really think about it, is that these things are not meant to be the chief activity of ones life. After all, it says: Business before pleasure – and there is time for everything.
Side Note:
Professional Blogging for Profit for Beginners
For the past few days, getting to a week, I’ve been writing and compiling an eBook on How to become a professional blogger for beginners. In the book, I share practical action steps on how I build blog(s) to make consistent income online and how you can follow these steps to guarantee result. Yes result can be guaranteed if you develop the right attitude and follow proven steps. This is not about making money by teaching people how to make money online, rather by actually building an income generating blog that makes three figures in Euro/dollar currency monthly.
And, YES. The eBook will be absolutely FREE for all email subscribers to this blog. If you want to be among the first to receive a copy when it’s ready, simply enter your email address below and you’ll be among the first to know.
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Until then, have a great day!
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