Distracted is a suitable adjective for my state of mind most of the time. I like to think it’s because I’m so busy. There’s just so much running around in my mind that I find it hard to focus. However, if I am honest with myself, I believe there is often a very different reason for me being distracted. I kind of like it. And it’s likely that many of you feel the same way.
That may sound strange, but bear with me. Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by truly important decisions that you just checked out mentally? You know you should be doing something purposeful, but instead you surf the Internet, turn on the television or even pull out your iPod and go running. Basically, you do anything but that important task, because even thinking about it puts a weight on your shoulders.
If you were to assess your behavior every day, you might be surprised to find how little time you spend participating in truly purposeful activities.
I include myself in this analysis as well. I like to think that I utilize my time well because I accomplish what I need to and rarely leave things undone.
But when I really began scrutinizing my daily activities, I was disappointed with myself. I realized the time I wasted far surpassed the time I spent being productive.
Once I realized this, I set a goal for myself: Stop wasting time so egregiously. I determined that I was not going to have unused bits of time spent in some mindless application. I wanted to utilize my time well.
That resolution turned out to be much harder than I would have thought. I found myself constantly wasting time, even in the midst of tasks that necessitated my attention.
It was so easy to waste time – a lot easier than actually engaging my mind or making a tough decision.
And then it hit me: I realized that I like wasting time. I like being distracted from my to-do list because, for a little while, I don’t have to do anything but entertain myself.
This in itself is probably no different what from anyone else does. We would all rather do something fun than work, right?
But I have found that this distraction-seeking mindset has spilled into areas of my life other than my to-do list. For example, thinking about current events, which requires engaging my mind and actually assessing the pros and cons of certain situations, is something I would rather not do. In my distraction-inclined mind, I would much rather watch two hours of “What Not To Wear” than 30 minutes of Fox News.
It’s not that I don’t care about today’s serious issues or have an opinion on them. It’s not that I dislike thinking about things or don’t understand them. I would just rather be diverted than exercise myself mentally.
This is a mindset that prevails in our society, and I believe it’s a dangerous one. When people as a rule would rather be entertained than mentally engaged, then we have stumbled into serious error.
Our society readily provides distractions for us. Entertainment is the industry of the day, and it’s pushed on us at every turn.
Everything is packaged in a delightful or amusing way. We want that; in fact, we expect it. If something doesn’t immediately entertain us, we lose interest.
We are a culture defined by our entertainment. We would rather be laughing than serious, and we would rather have fun than work at a task. That’s why we allow ourselves to become distracted so easily. I do, at least.
Now, many of you might be upset with me right now because I sound like I’m against ever having fun. Trust me, I’m not. This article is not written to convey the idea that you should never spend any time doing something not productive.
The danger comes when we let our desire for amusement supersede our desire for everything else. It isn’t always fun to make decisions, attend meetings or finish homework, but these are all necessary parts of life. We should give these tasks and others the attention they require and subdue the desire for distraction as much as possible.
So my new goal for the present is to attempt to remain focused on the tasks that need to be completed. Instead of subconsciously searching for a viable distraction, I’m going to invest my abilities in the project at hand. It may not be as much fun, but fun is not the goal of my life, and the best time to internalize that truth is right now.