Distraction is holding back my life. How do I stop being distracted?

[ThePoint]

I should be reading more books and researching more but instead I am passively consuming self improvement content on YouTube, without a clear aim or purpose.

This is a clear distraction.

How do I stop distracting myself and do the things that would be best for me to do? Things that would actually move the needle forward in my life?

[Godhead]

1. Write a list of things you want to achieve

2. Order the list by priority

3. Select the Top 3 things you want to achieve and create clear daily Habits and action steps that will help you achieve your goal.

example: 

• I want to get fit
  • I need to fix my Diet
    • Research Healthy foods and meals that I like
    • Buy those groceries
    • Do Meal Prep
  • I need to workout 
    • Get A Gym Membership
    • Find a Workout Plan
    • Work out 3 times a week

4. Download a Todo list App (Todoist is great - Make sure to pin it as a widget to your home screen) or write your action steps in your calendar

5. Follow through and don't give up. If you don't give up, you'll succeed no matter what

 

General points: 

Have a specific time period when you do your "distracting" activities, don't mix it with the time period when you have to do your work.

Set a Timer when doing Tasks you feel resistant to. "I'll spend 30 mins replying to customer E-mails" or "I'll spend 30 mins doing my math homework", sometimes it's better to just spend time on the task than worry about completion.

Put your phone away and close tabs that you don't need. Notice where you get distracted and minimize that risk. Notice your distraction patterns and cut them off.

Start with small and easy tasks. Start ridiculously easy if necessary: I'll read 1 Page every day. => still better than nothing and helps you build the habit. 

It's best to do the work first. Check things off your to-do list as soon as you wake up and brushed your teeth or as soon as you come home from work. Leisure time comes after that. 

Set Clear goals and deadlines. => I want to lose 5kg by the 1st of Dec. 

[ThePoint]

@Godhead Thank you so much man. I appreciate your detailed post. 

On 10/22/2022 at 1:33 AM, Godhead said:

Set Clear goals and deadlines.

Do you have any tips on setting deadlines? I am not sure how far into the future I should set a deadline in order to have just enough of a kick in the ass but not so much that I burn myself out.

[integral]

On 2022-10-21 at 8:33 AM, Godhead said:

4. Download a Todo list App (Todoist is great - Make sure to pin it as a widget to your home screen) or write your action steps in your calendar

+1 Good post, I prefer using the app “Habit Tracker”

Also delete YouTube and TikTok and Reddit from your phone apps

Edited October 24, 2022 by integral

[Charlotte]

@ThePoint look for the reasons why you aren't doing the things that would help you move forward, sit down, and have a think. write it down. Pick your mind  

[StarStruck]

Learn from Andrew Tate but in short:

 Your words should be made of iron. When you say you are going to do it you will or you will die trying. Your problem is that you say you are going to do something and you don’t. You have to fix that. Your words and your promises to yourself should amount to something  

So be careful what words you use. You have to respect your own word because no one else will if you don’t. 

In the beginning there was the word, and the word was with god, the word was god. 

[Shiva99]

Contemplate about death and become very conscious of how short life is. You have little time to achieve what you want in this life. Memento mori.

Edited October 24, 2022 by Shiva99

[Godhead]

On 23.10.2022 at 2:45 PM, ThePoint said:

@Godhead Thank you so much man. I appreciate your detailed post. 

Do you have any tips on setting deadlines? I am not sure how far into the future I should set a deadline in order to have just enough of a kick in the ass but not so much that I burn myself out.

Be realistic but still make it a challenge. Look at your past, what have you achieved realistically before => make it a bit more difficult

If you think you can achieve a goal realistically and comfortably in 10 days =>  set your deadline at 8 days

Once you have decided on a deadline, stick to it, make it real, and write it down somewhere where you see it daily. 

I'd set deadlines anywhere up to 3 months, above that it gets too abstract imo