I walk my 4 dogs 3 times every day. My mission is to get all of us outside for a little exercise and for each of the dogs to “do the business” (pee & poop).

We have a great routine, but it’s not always smooth and easy.

2 of these canines are 2 year old puppies.

They are ALL in constant motion for the duration of every walk.

So many interesting to things to smell . . . an abundance of Spring toads (which they pick up and then foam at the mouth) . . . other creatures (Squirrels, Chipmunks, Birds, deer and occasionally one of the 2 feral cats living in the Owen Hollow Barn) . . . Low flying aircraft of all shapes and sizes (Some military from Fort Campbell and civilian flying in and out of nearby John C Tune airport) . . . High flying birds of prey (Hawks, Buzzards), and the rare and most exciting event of a car coming up the driveway bringing human visitors.

Seems I omitted one particular creature. There’s that one rabbit who lives underneath the large magnolia tree about 50′ from the back door of the house. THIS is the guy who can stir up mayhem in 0.2 minutes flat because he knows the dogs are leashed . . . so he sometimes will follow (or lead) us down a path. I think it’s a wild animal conspiracy to drive me bananas.

So . . . when you’re trying to stay focused, to what extent are you vulnerable to unexpected distractions?

If you self-identify with frustration around not being able to accomplish much of anything without unwanted distractions, whose fault is this?

You know I’m gonna say: “It’s YOUR fault!”

Who’s your rabbit? . . . That person who is ALWAYS poking you when you are doing your best to focus on the task at hand.

What can you do to allay these external distractions?

Isn’t it difficult enough throttling the internal distractions (wandering mind)?

Stop this madness – Here’s how!

• Accept the fact that time blocking is a good thing. Consistently (EVERY DAY) schedule a block of time (minimum 1 hour – optimal 3 hours) to hermetically seal yourself from the outside world into a space where you focus with intensity on the things and people most important for the day.
• Communicate with all of the “interrupters” in your life the message that the sanctity of this safe space/time is crucial for you to be able to be “on your game”, so you can serve everyone who clamors for your attention best. NO interruptions allowed excepting bloodshed or death.
• Turn OFF the email, Facebook, sounds on your phone . . . any unnecessary electronic interference.
• And with intensity, do your self work well.

BTW – That rabbit’s still gonna want to figure out a way to distract you, so you’ve gotta be prepared with creative ways to redirect said rabbit’s attention to some other bright, shiny object or thing to do . . . Kinda like babysitting a 2 year old human.

Do this right, and you’ll soon find yourself getting WAY more done with less effort as your new favorite habit.

Strategist-CEO of Pareto Realty Real estate sales Professional Inviter-Facilitator-Practicer of Open Space Technology Opening safe space for people & organizations to self-organize around issues & opportunities BarryOwen.US Invite-Listen-Love View more posts