|
distraction (n.) Latin dis (away) + trahere Distract comes from the Latin dis (away) + trahere (to draw or to drag). When we are distracted, we are drawn away from our focus. mid-15c., distraccioun, "the drawing away of the mind from one point or course to another or others," from Latin distractionem (nominative distraction) "a pulling apart, separating," noun of action from past-participle stem of distrahere "draw in different directions" www.etymonline.com/word/distraction Stumbled across the word I*N*D*I*S*T*R*A*C*T*A*B*L*E last week and am totally HOOKED , which by the way is the title of the first book written by Nir Eyal . Intrigued with his cleverly named website , nirandfar.com 😊 i need to explore more. Enjoying the research process about INDISTRACTABILITY , in the hopes that i can become so myself. I always know what i SHOULD be doing, but get steered away by Mr. Resistance with a Capital R ( 🙏 Steven Pressfield 🙏) Distraction - Getting pulled away from doing the things you had set your mind to. vs Traction - Sticking to a schedule and intended tasks. Keeping your word to yourself. by means of appropriate Action ! Isn't it etymologically amazing how these (03) words fit right into each other ?! 💖⚡💖 Lightbulb Moment ! ⚡⚡ The opposite of distraction is NOT focus , but TRACTION. Distraction is as old as the hills . We cannot blame it solely on modern external triggers like televisions , mobile phones and social media . What about human interruptions ? ( My pet peeve ) If we could develop traction , focus , time-respect , how much more mileage we could get out of our days. We safeguard our material possessions and yet squander time, the most precious commodity , generously doled out nearly equitably to everyone in terms of hours in a day. We keep sacrificing the important for the sake of the "urgent". The opposite of Distraction is not Focus but TRACTION. - Nir Eyal
Nir Eyal is an Israeli-born American author, lecturer and investor known for his bestselling book, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products. Wikipedia Born: 19 February 1980 (age 41 years), Israel Education: Stanford University (MBA); Emory University (BA) Four ways to becoming INDISTRACTABLE
1. Mastering your internal triggers - Its not the television , the pings and dings , but the discomfort within that we are trying to escape. 2. Making time for TRACTION - You can avoid distraction only if you know what it is you are meant to be doing in the first place. They key "Forethought and Planning" . Prepare a broad schedule , organize your time . Traction is anything you "intend" to do . 3. Hacking back the external triggers - These are neither good nor bad. Just a matter of perception and effective utilization. Is tech serving us or are we serving the tech-makers ? Are we usually reacting instead of steering ? Tons of emails , pointless meetings , human interruptions , chatter ....... 🤦♂️🤷♂️🤦♂️ 4. Preventing distraction with PACTS - Effort Pact : Devising a simple hack to prevent a physical distraction , e.g. switching off the router at a certain time ? K-safe - a food locked piggybank for Oreos and other yummies. - Price Pact : Small monetary reward to self , e.g. $10.00. in a piggy bank for a week without chocolate ? - Identity Pact : A moniker that appeals and promotes your intent , e.g. a vegetarian
0 Comments
Appreciation of the unexpected events that add sparkle to your day !  Happy Accidents spice up a mundane day ! They are sometimes more important than the tasks on one’s to-do list. In my own day planner , I have begun dedicating a section to “Happy Accidents” and listing them. I am surprised at their frequency, intensity , and the joy they generate. ((Sometimes of course , there are just accidents without the “happy” prefix , but we can save Curved Balls for another post 😊 )) Happy Accidents make your heart sing and almost believe in magic. Synchronicity at its most active with coincidences you cannot explain. Blessings ? Good Karma ? Or just a generous universe ? Unexpected phone calls , old friends reaching out , chance meetings , events that align , pieces of information shared or gleaned , Discount sales in stores when you needed them . Your subconscious giving you solutions to problems when you least expect it. Even those red herrings that in hindsight proved to be massive character-catalysts . I am learning to calibrate my antenna , look for and learn from the happy accidents I encounter daily. I anticipate them with eagerness . Not a day passes without one. Ranging from the major - Meeting my husband-to-be across the seas , within two years of relocating from Kuwait to Bangalore in 1978. Applying for Australian immigration on a whim owing to a scheduled annual vacation cancellation. To the Minor - Going out to buy jeans – parking next to the clothes aisle in this big mall , trying out , loving and purchasing the very first pair we see , The beautiful oriental urn found in a thrift shop yesterday  J-O-Y precedes most happy accidents , big and small
J – Jauntiness and Joviality O – Openness Y – a YES mentality In a moment of tranquility , sit back and recall some of the best happy accidents in your life . Today ? Last week ? Through the years ? Isn’t it uncanny how some of the best things that ever happened to us were totally out of our control and unplanned ? The hand of God at work. Maybe a little cheesy , but worth remembering in these pandemic times, that Something wonderful is (usually) always on the verge of happening. - Micheal Beckwith |
