Distractions

---

As an entrepreneur, I love the freedom of choosing what I work on and when I do it, however this freedom also opens the door to distractions.

These distractions come in many forms, but they are usually brought about by one of two underlying causes.

1. Daunting tasks. When I have a big project on my plate that hasn’t been broken down enough, I am easily overwhelmed by the lack of clear next steps, making distractions that much more tempting. In these cases I try to stop working and take time to think about the work, creating a plan that is realistic and actionable. This can feel unproductive as I’m not getting real work done, but the work I end up doing is much better.
2. External excitements. When there is something else on my mind, for example a side project like redoing my office, the temptation to spend time on the fun stuff instead (or in parallel) is always present. In this case I try to fight distractions by scheduling them in. I will create a daily to-do list with little rewards built in, e.g. finish that code, then spend 10 minutes searching the Ikea website. Also, working with someone else can really help, as they will keep you accountable for the work you should be doing.

In both situations I often don’t recognize why I’m being distracted until I look back during my weekly planning, making this process all the more valuable.

Thinking about how we are doing in our work can be taxing, but if we are called by God to do good work, then it matters how we handle distractions, as they can pull us away from the work he is calling us to.

~ Sean