Distractions. They prevent people from providing their full attention to what they are trying to execute. When unnoticed, these distractions begin to pile and take us away from what we are trying to accomplish. In order to be successful and reach our fullest potentials, here are four distractions you can remove from your life.
Striving for Perfection
Crazy huh? Everyone does it. When we put our mind to something and invest ourselves, it is normal to desire perfection in what we do. But this hunger to “be the best” provides the basis to build fear in every mistake you make. Before I went off to college, I saw every little error on my part as a major issue — that every single person around me was judging me for my imperfections. With the chase of excellence, I never really took the time to appreciate the bumps and surprises in life. Getting rid of this unrealistic goal of flawlessness will allow one to appreciate and learn from the mistakes and flaws in a normal life. Stop striving for perfection — without it, you have plenty of lessons that can help you grow as a person.
Clutter
A clean space is a good start to any successful project. Take the time out of your day to declutter your office and workspace. With a fresh setting, you allow yourself the free movement of your ideas and creativity to flow effortlessly. This applies not only to physical clutter, but also to the distractions of digital clutter on your desktop or personal laptop. Make sure to close open programs that are pulling your attention away from the work at hand. Be cautious of the notifications on your desktop that may divert your concentration — try turning them off until you are complete with your assignment.
Regrets of the Past
Have you ever done something embarrassing? Does the memory always manage to creep up on you and you are forced to relive that cringe-worthy moment at various points in your life? Yeah, me too! We are only human, and the regrets and actions of yesterday should not stop us from our present and future. Turn the actions that have already occurred into a mechanism that you can learn and improve from. Don’t see them as a regret of the past, but as a means to acquire knowledge from. If you linger onto them for too long, they can manifest into a distraction that can pull you away from the present.
(Toxic) People
Betcha didn’t see that coming. Surprisingly, people are a form of distraction that can stop us from progressing and reaching our potential. Toxic people, or attitudes even, refer to the people who may distract us from our more productive routines. It’s time to remove the relationships that demoralize you more than they encourage you to realize your capabilities. Let them go, so you can grow.