Do You Need Help Minimizing Your Distractions?

What's going on in your life that's causing you to lose sight of your goals?  These distractions, if they're not dealt with, can deal a serious blow to your long-term plans.  I have first-hand knowledge of this.  In Southern California, my distractions included the beach, the tennis courts, door-to-door solicitors, and numerous televised Padres and Chargers games.  With the exception of the solicitors, my list of distractions is actually loaded with fun stuff.  The problem isn't how fun the distractions are, it's what the distractions do to keep me from my important tasks.  I found a radical way to put an end to all the obstacles – I moved to Iowa.

Changing your location may remove some obstacles, however, unless you develop the necessary discipline to minimize your distractions, you will find yourself distracted even when you're living in the middle of the corn fields.  Here's what you need to do if you're having trouble with distractions in your life:

1. Write down a list of specific goals.
2. Prioritize the list.
3. Focus on the list every morning when you wake up.
4. At the end of the day, read over the list.  If you missed something, ask yourself why.
5. Resolve to eliminate whatever distractions are keeping you from achieving your goals when your new day begins tomorrow.

You need to promise yourself you are stronger than your distractions.  Decide today that your goals are worth completing.  Disconnect your TV if it's preventing you from getting your important work done.  Put your cell phone away when you're working on a big project.  You can do this.  Have a great day.