“It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.”
― Greg McKeown
Focus on the Essentials
To reciprocate the gift of life, I take full advantage of the rare and beautiful opportunity to live as a human.
This involves staying in the present moment, which can be challenging with the endless attention-seekers that are around me.
They may include the following:
- News media
- Emails
- Billboards
- Social media
To eliminate distractions, I limit myself to checking my phone and personal email once a day. And oftentimes, I don’t need to check them at all.
When necessary, I respond to time-sensitive messages in batches.
By turning off my phone, I can focus on the important tasks I have set for myself. This allows me to disconnect from the world and prioritize the essentials.
And in the rare case of a real emergency, I’m not the best person to contact. Rather, first responders such as the police, ambulance, or fire department are.
Not being connected with the outer world, I can prioritize my day on my schedule. As a result, I have more time for activities that pull me forward by not squandering it away.
Choose Empowering Activities
There are many distractions in modern society and the most prominent one is social media. It is a double-edged sword as it can either do one of the following:
- Support you
Or
2. Control you
Some of the most intelligent people in the world work for Facebook, Google, and Apple and they are constantly fighting for your attention. They know the power of instant gratification when you see a “like” or “comment” on your post.
That’s because each dopamine release in your brain will make you crave more.
As a result, you will gravitate towards using more of their applications and products.
And over time, it can become an addiction.
In modern society, it’s rare to see people who are not staring at their phones. Most people are more interested in the digital world than living in the real world.
The same goes for food that is sold by multi-billion dollar companies.
They hire the smartest scientists to engineer the perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat in their products. With added chemicals, these snacks can bypass your leptin receptors which signal satiety to your brain.
This will cause you to want to eat more even though you’re actually full. And as a result, this will drive up their sales.
Another one is the news media, which is also a business.
They want you to keep watching their channel because the more viewers they have, the more revenue they will generate. And fear is an effective mechanism to keep you coming back and feeling the need to know the latest and greatest.
However, you don’t have to know everything happening in the world.
Because if something is truly important, you will hear from family members and friends. And learning more about events that you don’t have direct governance on will only create stress and anxiety.
Rather, focus on what you can manage, which is your attitude, behaviors, thoughts, and words.
Realize this:
Spending time and energy which you cannot control is futile.
Ask yourself:
“Will worrying about problems outside of my control help my life in any way?”
Technology can be a powerful tool if you allow it to support you. Examples may include the following:
- Connecting with others meaningfully by talking to them on the phone.
- Sharing valuable knowledge with the world and being part of a bigger conversation.
- Creating a video compiling all of your memorable moments.
You can use telecommunication as an advantage by letting it add true value to your life.
Prioritize Your Day
To analyze all your distractions, ask yourself:
- “What activities am I using to numb myself?”
- “What disempowering behaviors do I have?”
- “How can I start removing those harmful habits?”
After taking the space and time to evaluate your life, you can identify the patterns that are holding you back.
It requires awareness and patience to slow life down.
Afterward, you can make corrections to steer your life in the desired direction.
To maximize your day, use a daily planner to create a list of empowering activities that give lasting and beneficial results. This may include the following:
- Exercising
- Working on a personal project
- Designating time for free play
- Having a genuine in-person conversation with a friend
By filling your time with uplifting and significant engagements, you don’t have time for distractions.
Closing Thoughts
The world is constantly fighting for your attention.
You can prevent falling into the trap of instant gratification by surrounding yourself with a designed environment free of distractions.
As a result, you won’t have to rely on discipline.
Instead of seeking quick fixes, focus on permanent results by doing deep and courageous internal work.
This involves centering yourself, going inward, and creating a beautiful world within. Afterward, you can give yourself validation, love, and approval.
By doing so, you won’t have to seek them out externally.
And after wholeheartedly accepting all of who you are, you can stay true to yourself by concentrating on tasks that are important to you.
This will lead to doing empowering activities and contributing to a meaningful and positive cause.
Can you stand out and live consciously?
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