Point to Ponder:
What things distract you from living out your priorities?
Did you know the average person can’t go 10 minutes without checking their mobile device, and the average person spends 2 hours a day on social media AND for the younger generation who has grown up using a device, they will end up spending over 7 years of their life on social media! That is CRAZY!!! I’m embarrassed because shamefully I fall in that category and I don’t want to be!
I’m sure we’d all agree that social media nor our mobile devices are completely bad. They allow us to quickly communicate and spread a message to the masses, however while spending time on our mobile devices and social media aren’t bad, I think you’d concur this is not our best use of time.
If you are human, it’s possible you are feeling one or more of the following: short on time, unfulfilled or unsatisfied in an area of your life, busy, wanting and needing more intimate relationships, exhausted, not content, and/or distracted. As for the things that keep us distracted from spending time on what matters most, they are: email, texts, social media, getting prepared for the holidays, finding the perfect gifts, the internet, clutter, trying to do too much, a full schedule, a social life, quest for perfection, work, and the list goes on and on and on. Honestly, I believe the answer to all of this is first determining what’s most important and then disciplining ourselves to consistently fight to focus on the things that matter most.
I recently had a dear friend tell me that she and her husband came to the conclusion that they needed to slow down and stop saying “yes” to everything they were being invited to. Between weekend kid activities and social events, not only were they entering each week exhausted, but by the time they went out and paid for a sitter they were spending a ton of money. Most importantly, they determined they weren’t focused on their first priority; time with one another and time together as a family. It wasn’t that kid activities and spending time socially were bad. It was a matter of choosing what was best instead of what was good.
As we approach the end of the year and strive to finish strong so we can start 2019 strong, I encourage you to avoid average. There is no fruit in average and average will always keep us where we are—no better but possibly worse. Average keeps us in a space of regret, looking back and wishing we would’ve done more. Average doesn’t require discipline or action, however “best" does. In best relationships, fulfilled passion and living a healthy and amazing life, every single day there has to be a consistent and courageous willingness to diminish distractions and fight to focus on what you need and want. Honestly, I think the phone is a great first place to start, as it’s too accessible and the Achilles Heel for most of us. I absolutely know my family would benefit from seeing me on mine less. I mean let’s face it, the Smart Phone has been around for less than two decades and we all got along just fine without them. In fact, we got along better. Huh, that’s interesting. So maybe step one is to determine when and where it is acceptable to look at and use your phone. For example, not using it at the dinner table, setting a time curfew for ending the use of it, and not taking it into our bedroom each night. Ultimately we have to remove the temptation and set healthy boundaries that are BEST for you and your family.
So, how about an alarm clock for diminishing this distraction :-) hOmeLabs Sunrise Alarm Clocks are under $20 and of course on Amazon.
Action Item
Avoid average by determining your number one distraction and establish three ways to minimize it.