Distra… Wait – what was I doing again?

It seems as though I’ve been here before. Oh, yes! I have – many times…

I have sat down to write these words at least 5 times in the past 15 minutes.  Based on the number of other things I’ve done, I am surprised I have over 40 words down now…

First, it was some coffee. Ah, yes… A fresh cup before I get started. Then, I figured I might get thirsty from all the coffee and want some water…

Once I sat down, I realized I had a lot of liquid sitting on the desk, so I should probably use the restroom before I settled in.  After all, I wouldn’t want to get distracted later…

I got settled again, but decided I needed some aromatherapy to get my creativity flowing. So, after filling up my diffuser with my favorite scent, I sat down to get to work.

But, it was too quiet. I figured I’d just turn on my Bluetooth speaker, and listen to the album I downloaded this morning from Spotify. Well, apparently, someone else needed the charger that was normally used to power the speaker.  So after hunting for that cord for a few minutes and not finding it, I finally gave up.

I sat down again, this time really ready to get to work, and a new place to search came to me – I had to try… I found it! So now that problem was no longer nagging at my brain, and I could refocus on what I was attempting to do.

Back to it!

Wait –  the doorbell just rang…

Coulda’ Woulda’ Shoulda’

How many times has this happened? You set aside a pretty good chunk of time to do something, and by the time you actually get around to the task, you’ve wasted half of it just getting prepared??

Unfortunately, there have been times where I have just said, ‘Forget it,’ and have done nothing. I figured I wouldn’t have had enough time to get it done.

I wonder – how much could I have accomplished during those times? If I hadn’t thrown in the towel, and just done something – anything – for the remainder of the time. What all could I have accomplished?  How much further along would I be?

I think about all the times I have sat down to have a quiet time, read the Bible, or write something for A Faith-Filled Family, and have allowed distractions to get in the way.

I decided I needed to come up with some solutions to this problem, so I can help combat the urge to just get this one thing done… or check this one last thing before I start…

For me, it turned into a vicious cycle that was harder and harder to break. And then, I’d not only get less (or nothing) done, I’d feel terrible about it as well.

Coulda’ Woulda’ Shoulda’

At this point, I guess it’s a moot point…

All anyone can do right now is move forward. While looking back isn’t bad in and of itself, to dwell on it and live there can be discouraging and generally not helpful.

So instead, I figured I’d put some thought into ways to use my past cycle of distraction as a tool to help me get going again and not get caught up and derailed in the future.

Here’s what I found…

Unplug

If you are anything like me, once I hear a ding, I am trained to check my phone. It’s Apple’s version of Pavlovian conditioning.

Woof, woof…

Not proud of it, but it is where I am at this moment.

My solution – an awesome feature of phones and other tech devices – Do Not Disturb.

This has saved my focus and has allowed me to retain attention because the distractions don’t even come through!  Granted, I won’t immediately see the latest Facebook or Instagram posts, but the world hasn’t stopped because of it. And, as an added bonus, I don’t get worried I’m missing anything super important because of the repeated call feature, etc. I know, if there is an emergency, I will be notified.

Pray

If I don’t focus my mind on God and ask for His help, it’s all over.

Pretty sure that’s what happened today. I should have prayed before I even grabbed my coffee cup!

Each morning I will look to you in heaven and lay my requests before you, praying earnestly.                                                                                                               Psalm 5:3

I think of the telegraph prayers offered by Nehemiah as he sought guidance and from God.  He prayed before, during, and after basically all of his recorded interactions. In many verses, you can feel his earnestness as he pleads for God’s help.

… (O Lord God, please strengthen me!)                                                          Nehemiah 6:9

I need to have that intensity when I pray! When I find myself gazing out the window, or starting to get up because some new thought has entered my mind and I just NEED to take care of it right now.

O Lord God, please strengthen me!

It is way too easy to lose focus and take my eyes off what I should be doing. I do need His help – His strength.

Routine

I’m actually pretty boring. I do like many different things, and I love to have fun! But, when it comes to my quiet times, they’re pretty much the same thing every day.

I get up, make a cup of coffee and get the house going.

Once all of the things that could take my attention away from God and His word have been taken care of, (namely Molly, Gracie, Spencer, and Ellie), I sit at my kitchen table with my Daily Bible and journal.

If it’s 7:00, that’s where you go to find me. And I do my best to be there every day.

I have found if I sit down before feeding the dogs – it’s all over.

If it’s the weekend and the kids are awake – not going to happen…

If the kids haven’t left for school yet – I will be interrupted 50 times before I can read one verse.

So, if I can manage distractions before they become distractions, that’s my best chance at being successful!

One of the hardest things for me with routines is flexibility. I have had to change-up my routine from time to time due to school schedules, etc. And, yes – I’ve had to get up 30-45 minutes earlier than my kids in order to get that uninterrupted (literal) quiet time.

Gasp…

But, Jesus did that.

The next morning, he was up long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.                                                                                                      Mark 1:35

If Jesus could take the time and make it a priority, I certainly can, too.

What I learned, and am still learning…

These are all great ways I have found to help minimize distractions.  I have used them separately at various times. But, I think the key to help be truly focused on God and what He is calling us to do, is to use them in conjunction with one another. It does no good to turn on Do Not Disturb, and then sit and scroll through a news feed for a half an hour.

In isolation, I haven’t been as successful as I know I can be at focusing more on God. All the distractions didn’t just disappear when I played my new piano music or breathed in the scent of Earth and Wood.

But I really feel like I’m onto something here. If I pray and unplug and am prepared with a routine – if they’re all in sync?

Then, watch out – amazing things can happen!!

I can’t wait to see what God has planned!

Your thoughts?

What do you think? What have you found that helps free you from distractions? I would love to hear any words of wisdom and advice. Please share your experiences and what you learned!  I can’t wait to hear from all of you!