Distraction Is Killing Our Productivity

I hate email. I can't stand it. My team isn't such a fan of me not using email because it's more challenging to get ahold of me. So, for a week, I tried using email like everyone else. What happened? Constant reminders on my phone that an ultimately-not-so-important something NEEDS my attention. There are the DEFCON 5 Urgencies... But I don't call these "emergencies" because they are not actual emergencies; they are those moments when someone else needs you to get something done that's on their agenda and in their timeline. The dirty little secret is that when I didn't put these reminders and RED notification tags on my phone, these significant urgencies had a way of figuring themselves out.

Why Email Keeps Getting in the Way of My Work

It's not that I don't want to talk to my team. It's the opposite. Usually, I am in a meeting, and I want to be present, but that freaking vibration keeps sucking me into the soulless black hole that is email. I can't concentrate. I keep checking my phone while my guest can tell I am distracted.

And then there are those moments when I need space to think, write, and create content. I can't do that with my phone's deafening scream—well, it feels like it's screaming at me.

Oh, and the phantom vibrations—ugh. The phone is on the desk, but you swear it's in your pocket. Your quads have distinct muscle memory now. You can't even get away from the dings, even when you remove the phone from your proximity!

 The anxiety is real.

After a week, I couldn't focus. How do people get any work done with email?

All this points me to the fact that I was getting more done that aligned with my job description BEFORE I tried to be more available to people who THINK they know my job description.

Here is the disclaimer: I do this to other people. I think I know their day and role requirements, and the more distracted I become, the less empathy I feel for them.

So I'm distracted, I'm anxious, and I might be an ass. Ouch.

Does anyone else resonate?

Distraction leads to dilution of results.

Why Distraction is Killing Our Productivity

Yes, distraction makes us look and feel busy, but it rarely succeeds in the long run. And what's worse, it means we either took our eyes off the prize or are trying hard to keep our eyes off the truth.

Either way, distraction is a red flag that declares we have lost the potency that comes with Purpose.

And you know what's funny? Cal Newport, Author of A World Without Email, backs this sentiment up. In an interview with Lifehacker, he says, "Figure out what activities move the needle in your job or business and build your habits around prioritizing those activities. You cannot alchemize generic busyness into profit; no one ever built an empire based on their fast email response rate."

As a Jesus Follower, I don't want to be a religious hypocrite, saying we should act piously and compassionately and yet be so out of sync because of distraction that I am anything but. It's ok if you aren't religious; you have more of an excuse than I do.

Jesus once said that if we keep "white-knuckling" life, we will lose it.

I often wonder if Jesus told a parable about us. He would craft a story about people so busy being distracted in pursuit of purpose that it made us farsighted to the fulfillment we could have today if we just refocused.

When we focus and minimize distractions, either putting our eyes on the prize or facing the truth that we have been ignoring, we emerge as more centered, compassionate, creative, and productive in the long run. We make real intentional progress.

Distraction is like a flashlight, and focus is like a laser. When it comes to fulfilling my purpose, I don't want to fade out after taking minimal ground. I would like to cut through the obstacles and challenges. I want to be laser-focused.

I'm sure you do, too.