Micro Distraction. Avoiding Blowing It #243

How Often Does A Micro Distraction Throw Us Off Our Life Trajectory?

We may never truly know because we don’t know the alternative. But in some cases they can have profound affects. Each micro distraction is a mini butterfly effect within your own life. And it’s implications can grow into a hurricane in that life as it gains force.

An important conversation with a close friend or loved one gets interrupted by a phone call. Do you take the call or stay present with that friend or loved one? The choice you make can have profound implications as innocent as it may seem in the moment. This might be the distraction that eventually ends the friendship, marriage, etc. Maybe not in that moment but the wind off the butterfly’s wings will be set in motion.

Sometimes the micro distraction is just enough to send an alcoholic or a drug user back to the bottle or drug of choice. Distractions can be triggering. A micro distraction could set you off course of a masterpiece you might be working on.

Our Phones Are Micro Distraction Machines

Which often lead us down the rabbit hole. Difficult to escape once your in the labyrinth. And each micro distraction within it, can start a chain reaction. We get alerted to a text, or new deal, or a new article that needs to be read, a podcast to be listened to. Then we find ourselves wasting time watching YouTube videos of cats. I’ll even link to a video of cats, to test your resistance muscle. Try to abstain from it. Build that muscle.

The pull is strong because of our intense curiosity and need for answers. What if the phone call is more important then the conversation were already in? It almost never is, but we hold that belief constantly and it diminishes the quality of our interactions. It’s why we have to remove as many temptations as possible. Starting with our phones. Its always launching little missiles that can turn into weapons of mass destruction on our work, our life and our relationships.

It’s amazing how employers want you always at their beck and call on this little distraction machine but being connected to it always depletes the quality of work by the distracted individual.

How To Help Avoid Micro Distraction.

We need to utilize do not disturb mode or airplane mode on our phones first and foremost. Or even think about getting a Faraday pouch for it and put your phone in it when you are engrossed in other activities. So it can’t even receive a signal. Always at the very least turn off all notifications. You do not need to be alerted to a sale on bed spreads or news of a bomb strike in Yemen.

Just be aware and vigilant to the sources that are vying for your attention. And stay true to what’s important. Don’t let micro distractions, as unassuming as they are, derail you. Because the micro can easily turn into the major.