Being Intentional in the Age of Distraction

Recently I've been reading and thinking about how difficult it is to focus today, and I wanted to share some things I've learned:

It has never been easier to be distracted. I think Morgan Housel is right on when he says that "technology has pushed the cost of distraction to zero." He means that it takes virtually no time, effort, or money to switch from whatever you're doing to a distraction. Within seconds, and without any added financial cost, you can use your phone, tablet, or computer to chat with friends, browse multiple social media sites, watch TV, shop, check email, etc. And our phones don't wait for us to check them—they serenade us with dings and flashing alerts. 

Housel points out that in the past, in order to be distracted, you had to do something. You had to call someone, turn on a TV, pick up a book, go somewhere, etc. Getting distracted took a little time, effort, or money. Even these minor "costs" would deter distraction and make it easier to focus on the task at hand.  

It has never been harder to be focused and intentional. Because it is so easy to get distracted now, focusing on a specific task or goal is more difficult. For me, even completing an email without checking Twitter requires incredible self discipline. 

Distraction also infringes on bigger parts of our lives. For example, it is so difficult for us to set our priorities and order how we spend our time and money accordingly when we face constant distractions.  

All significant accomplishments require intention. It is impossible to be great at anything without intentionally working toward it. Think about something you've done that you are proud of—that required a lot of focus and dedication, right? You had to set a goal, develop a plan to reach that goal, and be disciplined in making progress toward it. 

Along the way, you said "no" to things that would have taken you off course. (Even though some of those things were good things. Not all distractions are "bad.") Because it's so easy to be distracted, I worry that many of us are wasting time rather than working toward big goals. 

We are sensitive to small changes in the cost of distraction. Recently I decided that I need to be more present (i.e., less distracted) when I spend time with my family in the evenings. I thought about how I could accomplish this goal (which took intention!), and I realized that I need to spend less time on my phone. 

I decided that during family time, I would put my phone in the next room. Even though I only made the cost of being distracted slightly higher (now I have to walk 20 feet, rather than just reach in my pocket), I am not checking my phone nearly as much. (Of course, this concept also works in reverse. It doesn't take much for us to be more easily distracted.) 

It's only going to get harder to focus. We all know that technology will continue to play an increasingly important role in our lives. Overall, that is awesome! Technology provides many incredible benefits that make life better. But we also need to be mindful that technology makes it so easy to distract us.