Nora and Tim help you find balance when dealing with a stressful debt situation. Learn how to manage stress and enjoy travel without breaking the bank.
How serious are you about your core priorities -- the Big Things you want from life? However serious you've been, my advice is to increase your dedication to those FEW things that will matter to you on your deathbed someday.
What I'm proposing today: clear your mind and your schedule by eliminating everything extraneous so you can pour yourself into the Big Things.
What Counts as a Distraction?
You might think of a "distraction" only as something that interrupts you or obviously keeps you from concentrating. People stopping by your desk at work, a dripping faucet, that sort of thing.
But take a wider view. A distraction is ANYTHING keeping you from doing your Big Things. It could be a relationship that's out of whack, or money worries sitting at the back of your mind. It could be your health, or the fact that you haven't clarified your Big Things.
Find these distractions, no matter how big or small, and commit to eliminating them.
How Do You Get Rid of Distractions?
There are probably a thousand ways to do this, but here are six to get you started. All of them work for me.
And Then What Happens?
With distractions out of your way, you can put more time and more energy into your core priorities. It's no good if you get rid of distractions and then just sit around waiting for inspiration to strike: you have to work hard and work regularly -- probably every day -- on the Big Things. That will sharpen your mind to the tasks you need to accomplish, and you'll be able to get farther, faster simply by virtue of having more practice.
But you'll also likely find that keeping your Big Things in mind will help you see all kinds of new connections that you never saw before. Ideas will come to you in the shower or on your morning commute. You'll want to sit down after dinner to jot down your ideas. That sort of thing.
When it happens, harness it. Let the process of creative problem-solving take over your mind. Don't resist it or revert to your old habits of distraction. Double down on your newly honed priorities instead.
Now, how about you? What are you doing to eliminate distractions?
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Tim Walker
Tim is a writer, marketer, and social media pro living in Austin. He joined CareOne's blogging team as a contributing writer for the Life Balance blog in 2009. As a blogger who has personally overcome debt challenges, he draws from his own experience to provide tips on living a balanced life and keeping fit. You can read more of his thoughts (on fitness and everything else) at his personal blog, What I've Learned So Far. Compensated Blogger for CareOne Debt Relief Services.
Follow Tim on Twitter;http://twitter.com/twalk
Wonderful tips to get yourself focused! I am a neat freak so I cannot do small tasks like reading, writing or even sleeping without making sure everything is neat and organized. Also, being prepared is one of the most important things we may all take for granted. It is so important to have a small cash fund for emergencies, a little extra food in the pantry in case you have a hard month, or simply anticipating your near future so you can know what actions you will take. Thanks for the great list!
Thanks so much, Sara -- really appreciate it.