We live in an age of distraction. Our lives are consumed with keeping up on our social media platforms, texting, instant messaging, emails, phone calls, and that’s just during the work day! Then there is the rest of the day, and many of us continue to keep up with all these forms of communication well past working hours. It’s endless.
A recent study showed that we are interrupted from our current task at least every 15 minutes, and most of us waste at least an hour a day dealing with all types of disruptions. On top of that, once we have been distracted, it can take 20 minutes to regain focus and get back to the task at hand.
Even as I am writing this Friday Food for Thought, my phone and my laptop are dinging simultaneously, letting me know about the emails coming in. Naturally I need to check them immediately- after all, we do live in a world of instant gratification ?.
With all these distractions, how can we accomplish anything?
I have many friends who are entrepreneurs, world travelers and are very involved in their families. Despite being pulled in so many different directions they accomplish amazing things. When asked how they do it all, they say being present, focusing on the moment and distinguishing between the urgent and the important are how they juggle everything.
Back to the title of this FFfT: WTF? Aside from the standard meaning, in a world filled with distraction WTF can signify something different. To me, WTF means “Where’s The Focus?” Keeping your focus despite being surrounded by distraction is difficult for most of us to do, especially when it comes to text messages and emails. My challenge for you this weekend is to focus on the task in front of you, start to end. Your texts and emails will still be there once you’re finished.
“When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”— Zen proverb
Have a focused weekend.
Vijay