We can all become easily sidetracked. We can be reading something online and notice something interesting (aka click-bait) or we can be watching a film and then we want to find out where it was made, that then leads to ‘I wonder what else happens in…’ and then ‘oh look! holidays to…’ and 2 hours later the thing we were going to start after watching the film didn’t happen, the internet whisked us off into a vortex of avoidance and distraction. The web is a limitless pit of things to distract, which the mind loves.
The main reason we get sidetracked, especially when we are about to start something, is the mind wants us to avoid being present and focused in this moment, it will want to be in the future or in the past, both will prevent us from doing. It wants to sabotage as starting creates a risk for the ego.
To stay out of the mind means taking a step into the unknown and uncomfortable. This will require bravery, vulnerability and a willingness to be present and conscious of this moment.
Being sidetracked allows us to think and feel like we are busy and it blocks us from thoughts of the things that matter that we could be doing. The challenge is, once we have snapped out of the sidetracked vortex, the mind then makes us feel guilty about not doing something more fruitful.
This leads to the ‘catch 22’ of feeling guilty for not doing so we do not relax and then we required to take action we are resentful as we did not enjoy guilt-free relaxation time.
The solution is a simple, yet hard initially, thing to do…stay conscious, stay focused, remove distraction and show-up. Dare to be brave and get started, stop the thinking.
Philip Dodson 