If you struggle with staying focused on your fitness journey, don’t beat yourself up about it. Making a lifestyle change is not always easy. However, if you want to get things done and achieve your goals, then a nice approach to consider is learning how to overcome distractions and become a focus master.
Starve Your Distractions and Feed Your Focus
The concept of “starving your distractions and feeding your focus” is really about being aware that your energy goes where your focus goes. And of course, your time also goes where your focus goes.
If distractions are continually stealing your time and energy, then it’s important to begin moving that time and energy to thoughts and actions that support your goals and dreams. For instance, instead of spending more time on social media for 20 minutes each morning before starting work, maybe consider using that time to plan your day. Not only will this put you in the right mindset for a productive day, but it will also allow you to prioritize your tasks so that you guarantee that important stuff (like meal prep, exercise, family and self care) receives the appropriate amount of time.
When you starve your distractions of time and energy, you naturally begin to feed your focus. And with increased focus, comes increased productivity and success!
What Is Distracting You?
There are two types of distractions that could impact our lives:
- External distractions
- Internal distractions
You’re probably familiar with external distractions. These are things such as cell phone calls/texts, coworkers interrupting you, and breaking news alerts on TMZ and the Shaderoom. While external distractions may only last for a few seconds or minutes, they are often enough to cost us several hours of productivity a day. For example, a University of California Irvine study found that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to a task after being interrupted by a single distraction. Crazy right?
Believe it or not, the same can be said about internal distractions. These distractions are our own thoughts and emotions. For example, while creating a PowerPoint, you might find yourself thinking about your favorite sports team or the latest Netflix movie/series.
In terms of emotions, if you’re suffering from stress or depression, sometimes it can be hard to keep your energy and thoughts on the task at hand.
How to prevent Distractions and Find Focus
Getting in front of distractions and finding focus is such an important topic!
Just imagine how helpful it would be to have that extra time back! It would be enough time to dedicate towards your fitness journey, new business venture or accomplishing a goal you’ve always had.
Here are a couple key steps that will begin to limit your distractions and build focus.
Step 1: Eliminate Your Options
Maybe your distraction at the gym is checking your social media. A good solution is to lock your phone and place it out of reach. You can even turn it off until you finish the workout. Narrowing down and eliminating your options helps you to focus on finishing the workout.
Step 2: Create Mental Stop Signs
Another effective technique for overcoming distractions is to create mental stop signs. The simplest stop sign is a time limit. It may be a good idea to set yourself a maximum time limit to complete a certain amount of exercises/sets.
When you starve your distractions and feed your focus, you’ll free yourself from a heavy burden. And this freedom will give you the time and energy to be creative and productive. You’ll be able to get things done and achieve your goals!