I used to have the damnest time with staying focused each day. I would start with the best intentions and before I knew it I was watching a loop of “Ask Steve” videos on YouTube. I would end each day upset at myself for not getting more done, and not even being focused on what I did get done.
Because I’m a solutions-oriented kind of girl I knew there had to be a solution for my lack of focus. What I got was a bunch of spaces telling me that “If you can’t stay focused then your why isn’t strong enough.”. I even bought into that one-dimensional story because I thought it would help me get focused.
Although it helped me get clearer about my purpose it didn’t help me stay focused. I found that the journey to get focused was multifaceted. I also learned that not all distractions are created equal.
Some distractions are telling you to slow down and smell the roses. While others are showing you where your paradigms are stronger than your purpose.
Remember:
[bctt tweet=”If your paradigms are stronger than your purpose you’ll always get distracted.” username=”charmedwithchar”]
What Are Your Distractions Telling You?
During this blog post, I am talking about the distractions that are a part of a paradigm. How can you tell between a distraction showing you a paradigm and one that’s telling you to slow down?
Here’s the process to let you know what your distraction is telling you. Ask yourself these questions to help you examine your distractions further.
- Is the thing distracting you something you need to pay attention to? If the answer is yes then you are not dealing with a paradigm distraction. Distractions that normally fall in this category are kids, aches and pains, and money.
- Are you on social media because you were having trouble focusing on a task? If the answers is yes this might not be a paradigm distraction. It is possibly your body’s way of telling you to take a chill.
- Is there a boundary in place for the person or thing distracting you? If the answer is yes and they aren’t following the boundary that’s a boundary issue. The distraction is showing you the boundary isn’t being followed. In this case, the distraction is a symptom of a deeper issue.
This list isn’t all inclusive but I hope it gives you an idea of what a paradigm distraction isn’t.
Knowing what your distraction is trying to tell you is pivotal in helping you know your next move.
A Mom Entrepreneur’s Top Challenge
One of the top challenges I hear from entrepreneurial moms is:
“How do I handle social media distractions?”
Social media is that thing we need to operate our business yet it can be the thorn in our side.
Often entrepreneurial moms use social media distractions a wind-down technique.
You make the kids lunch, you reward yourself with some Pinterest or Facebook time to regroup. What ends up happening is that you never come off of social media until you hear that next squeal for attention
You then go into this whirlwind of feelings:
- Guilt – for being on social media when you should’ve been doing work on your business
- Shame – for not doing what you needed to do
- Anger – for blocking your own progress
You tell yourself that this was your last social media binge for the day but the cycle continues.
Being a work from home entrepreneurial mom means that you have distractions coming at you from all sides.
How does a work from home entrepreneurial momma get focused? How will you get your social media distractions under control?
Shifting Your Story to Help You Get Focused
The first step to get focused and get control of your social media distraction is to shift your story. In this step, you will dig deep to discover what you’re avoiding by using social media and why. In this step, you’re going to discover your patterns around social media distractions.
Once you know the why you will create a plan to replace them with habits that will help you thrive. Until you fix the pattern you will still find a way to get distracted. You will still find a way to sabotage your growth.
Trust me I have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. This step is necessary to eliminate paradigm based distractions.
Taking Away What Distracts You to Get Focused
The second step to win your battle with social media distraction is taking it off. Take off the apps and sites that are your largest distractions. I get it, you have a business page and several of groups you’re in is on Facebook and you need access. But until you’ve dealt with the cause the news feeds aren’t your friend.
In this step, you are going to keep only what you need and block or delete the rest. If the FB news feed is your kryptonite block it with a Google extension call Newsfeed Eradicator.
If you find that spending excessive time in groups is what ails you, set a timer for group use. Make a list of all the groups you’re in and delete the ones that you aren’t adding or receiving value from. You can always join in again and you probably won’t even notice the group missing from your newsfeed.
If you have a problem with Pinterest create a separate profile for your business and personal boards. By separating my business and personal boards I don’t feel guilty searching Pinterest. Yes, it can be a bit of a hassle but separating the accounts has helped me get focused on my outcomes.
Tracking Social Media to Get Focused
There is nothing like seeing how much time you’re spending on social media to help you get focused. That visual of how much time you spent working on your blog versus the time you spent on Pinterest can be shocking.
I didn’t think the 20-30 minutes of Facebook binges where that much. Then I installed an app called Moment and discovered those binges equaled 3+ hours of Facebook usage a day! No wonder I couldn’t seem to get anything done.
Using time tracking apps will allow you to see where a bulk of your online time is going. Once you know where your time is going you can then see how to make it work for you.
Here’s your challenge. Choose one of the apps I mentioned above and take a week to track your social media usage. Once you know your numbers I’d love for you to come back to this post or email me at Hello@theharmedlife.me.
Let me know your numbers and your plan to get them down so you can be more productive.
More Resources to Help You Get Focused
Check out my YouTube video on eliminating social media distractions. I share more tips and resources to help you create a more productive day.
If you need accountability and support to get your time back, fill out the form below to join my Free Get Yo’ Life Squad on Facebook.
Blog Resources to help you get focused:
- Paradigm Shift Workshop – Bob Proctor 3 day virtual workshop to help you shift your paradigms. http://bit.ly/2x0rJHh
- Newsfeed Eradicator – Google Chrome Extension Only
- Time Camp – App + desktop http://timecamp.com
- Moment App – App only
- Time Doctor – App + desktop
- Rescuetime – desktop only https://www.rescuetime.com/
Until Next Time
Love Yourself, Love Your Family Love Your Business
