Distractions abound in our busy world. Between schedules to follow, meetings to attend, and appointments to keep, we do well to achieve any of our goals. Aside from the requirements of the task at hand, we get bombarded with delays, adjustments, and obstacles that slow us down. If we allow these things to frustrate us, then we will allow our peace to be stolen from us. This does not have to be the case. Below are several ways to keep from being slowed down by the simple hurdles in our life.
View the distraction as an opportunity.
This is easier written than done, however there is a wise old saying. The way to get rid of an enemy is to make him your friend. Do this with an obstacle. Embrace it! Learn from it and improve the situation, so that it could be prevented in the future.
Not every emergency is your emergency.
If a coworkers’ lack of proper planning has introduced a bottleneck for their project, they may lean heavily on you to bail them out. Do not feel that turning down their request would be hardhearted. You could politely let them know that you are under the same time constraints as they are and stopping to assist them would delay your project.
Pad your schedule with a time buffer
It has been said that if you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail. If you don’t anticipate delays or distractions in your schedule, then when they do occur, you will be caught off guard. Plan some extra time in your travels, project timelines, or daily routines. By doing this, you aren’t being pessimistic and “asking for trouble”. You are simply being wise with your planning.
Simply ignore the distraction!
The best athletes in the world have a very similar trait. They ignore the noise of the crowd, the taunts from the opposition or the physical strain on their body. They stay extremely focused on the task at hand and accomplish their goals. This is how we can accomplish our goals. Tune out the distractions.
