Are you waging war against distractions?

Distraction can be the ultimate enemy of achievement, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you just focus on winning some battles

"If a doctor is about to do surgery on you, you don't ask him, 'How close can you get to my artery without slicing it and causing me to bleed out on your table?' … When it's obvious there's real danger, we stay away from the line of danger. We should do the same with distractions."

That is the blunt advice offered by Life.Church Founder and Senior Pastor Craig Groeschel in his post, "IT'S TIME TO DECLARE WAR ON YOUR DISTRACTIONS (HERE'S HOW)" (note that he used all caps, which I personally find very distracting).

"You will never accomplish big goals when you're distracted by things that don't matter," writes Groeschel. "Think of it this way: Your enemy doesn't need to destroy you if he can distract you. If he distracts you, he can enjoy watching you destroy yourself."

I found this advice from the Christian leader early on in my research for the "No Distractions" project. It has actually been a distractingly placed tab (among many) on my Chrome browser for the past few months. I didn't want to close it because I found the message spot on: If you don't want to be distracted by something, eliminate the possibility of letting it distract you.

I have already delved into the inverse idea of routine (using a calendar and having a plan) as a distraction that can actually be beneficial.  Groeschel does the opposite here, putting a target on social media specifically. He argues that at the average pace of consumption, a person will spend about seven years of their time on earth scrolling away. (I used a University of Maine study to check that math, and the seven-year figure checks out, assuming we live into our 80s and didn't start using social media until our teenage years.)

This is war with a large chunk of our lives on the line, the pastor argues. And in combat, we often need to lose battles to win the war.

Three steps to reclaim your time from distractions

Groeschel says people can solve the issue in three steps:

1. "Move the line" 2. "Magnify the cost" 3. "Map out your escape"

The pastor's ultimate goal is to help people find their Godly purpose, but I see it as sound advice for everyone—regardless of your views on religion. He actually urges followers to take it a step further and eliminate even the possible "good" that could come from platforms like YouTube or TikTok to make room for what is essential.

"As you wage war on your distractions, you'll have to say no to some good things, but you will be saying yes to what's best."

Finding the balance

So, let's turn the TV off, put down the phone and think for a moment. Where's the balance? That's for you to determine. I know I'm still struggling with it myself. I've started thinking about it like a traffic light:

What things are you doing now that you should just stop doing?

• Green Light: What really are my high-priority actions?

• Yellow Light: Am I over-prioritizing things that could wait?

• Red Light: What are the things I should stop doing right now?

I think it all comes down to the existential question: "What really matters?"

I hope our journey together helps you find meaning and importance in the things you do. Now, back to watching the Olympics.