Like listening to your gut instinct, being able to fully concentrate on what truly matters can be hard. You're a busy woman; multi-tasking or squeezing in time to tackle something when it appears you may have a down moment is likely a norm...whether or not you have kids. But that doesn't always work well, does it? Whatever you do get done isn't usually your best and mistakes happen. In addition, you often aren't fully able to concentrate on what truly matters, whether it is the work in front of you, driving a car, watching your child or being with your partner. Let's talk about concentrating on what truly matters so you feel more present, less anxious and maybe even a little safer.
In this not so distant past (this morning), my phone was on the passenger seat of my car. Where I needed it, right? At stop lights, I'd text and jot ideas/tasks/reminders in my Evernote app. Sometimes with my headset, I'd talk to my sisters or dad on the phone in the car. But none of this is good. Because I'm not fully concentrating on what truly matters...in my case, driving a 3000 pound car safely.
In a recent blog post on digital hygiene, Seth Godin recommends putting your phone in the glove box when driving. I was with Seth on the post, up until this point. Just reading it made me anxious. What if I needed it? What if my phone melted because I forgot it? Like you, I am attached to my phone. It's never far out of sight, or likely out of hand. But as usual, Seth was right. Not only do we need distance from our technology so we can be more productive when we are at work but more generally, we need to be better at concentrating on what truly matters.
I give you permission to put your phone in the glovebox. I give you permission to not be available 24/7 to everyone and anyone.
When you put your phone in the glovebox (literally or metaphorically), you're making a conscious decision to improve your concentration on what truly matters. You're deciding in favor of your mental health and perhaps physical health too. "This is an area of anxiety that I can control," you declare when you put that phone in the glovebox. You're confirming your commitment to do good work well, not average work when you can.
Concentrating on what truly matters isn't easy but it isn't rocket science either. It's a simple formula: remembering (your awareness of the distraction) + doing (putting the distraction, like a phone, away) = better concentration on what truly matters. Along the way, you'll also notice less anxiety, increased productivity and greater safety.
Is your phone the distraction you need to put in the glovebox? Or is it something else? Leave me a comment below. And if you like this post, click the heart below. Thanks for reading.
PS. We talk about distractions, busyness vs. productivity and all about making time for what truly matters in my group coaching program, Uncommon Confidence, which starts August 20. Join me and a small group of other women as we journey to feel and act more confidently in ways that matter everyday.
