I was having an extremely busy day filled with meetings, deadlines, and project work.
It seemed every few minutes there was some new distraction—some were external, such as a phone call or colleague stopping by with a question. But some distractions were self-generated: I kept interrupting the flow of work to focus on something else.
While some may call it multi-tasking, it was essentially a series of interruptions to the point I was no longer sure which activity was the focal point and which was the distraction.
A worse kind of distraction
But there’s another type of distraction that’s of greater concern: When you’re so focused on the day-in, day-out business of living that you’re distracted from what’s truly important.
- Perhaps you always meet work deadlines but frequently miss dinner with your family.
- Your house is spotless, but you opted out of a trip to the movies with friends because you were cleaning.
- You have a long To Do list that provides fleeting fulfillment when you tick off an item, but none of the dozens of tasks truly reflect what’s most important to you.
The ultimate question
Think about your life continuing as it is… and ask the ultimate deathbed question: What’s your biggest regret about how you lived your life?
This question offers clarity about what’s really important—and what are just distractions.
Is your attention being diverted from what really matters? Take a close look at your distractions and make a commitment to avoid regret by living fully focused on what matters most.
