Distract Yourself?!
"Distraction is a strategy in service of the work." - Rick Rubin
What a great quote. It flips the concept of distraction being a problem right on its head!
Pictured is the doodle I played with throughout several meetings this week. This little distraction kept me quite engaged!
It kept the often restless part of my brain happy so the deeper part of me could be fully present.
It calmed the part of my brain that wants to "get it right" and "play it safe" so my wisdom could feel into what was needed and be most in service of the bigger goal.
Furthermore, there is a concept of "peak stimulation." It is the idea that focus and motivation require us to find the sweet spot of just enough stimulation for the task at hand.
Distraction is often a sign that we need more stimulation and it can be a powerful tool that lets our most brilliant insights and ideas bubble up from our unconscious.
If you are someone who struggles with restlessness and/or staying focused (or work with people who do), maybe it's time to rethink that "distraction problem" and make it your superpower.
Let's work WITH the way your CREATIVE brain wants to work and trust it a little.
Some ideas in addition to doodling:
💡 Take a walk. You can listen/watch Zoom on your phone or invite the people you are meeting with to take a walk. (I actually used this in teaching with great success.)
💡Wear a beaded bracelet. Hold one bead at a time and move from one to the next while slowly letting the bracelet spin on your wrist.
💡Put on music in the background. (Who says meetings have to be quiet?! Snore...)
💡Change the environment. Get out of your office when you are on Zoom or get out of the meeting room. Go somewhere more interesting.
💡Have snacks or drinks for the meeting. Something like nuts are particularly good because you repeatedly eat little pieces over and over.
💡Play with play dough. Seriously. It's not just for kids. I have seen adults do amazing things with playdough during trainings!!!
What ideas do you have or what have you tried?
☆★ Creative Challenge ★☆ Think about something that you have to attend, watch, listen to that doesn't hold your attention very well. (Okay, it's boring!) Bring something to mindlessly distract yourself with and see what happens!