How to Manage “Important” Distractions

We can’t eliminate all distractions, we have to manage them

“Important” distractions are the things that distract you from your main life or work. It’s the long list of tasks and obligations you have to take care of.

The things you feel have no direct impact on your main goals. But you still need to do them.

I was talking to one of my friends, Randy, who works in healthcare recently. And his case is a good example of “important” distractions.

Randy works as a caregiver for young adults with special needs. His primary goal is to help his patients. But in recent years, he’s been struggling with one of his biggest workplace distractions: Paperwork.

On top of caring for his patients, he had to:

• Document the happenings of his ward during the day
• Record all the tasks he’s been working on
• Submit various reports

He can’t just abandon the paperwork, because it’s also a part of his job. But it takes significant time away from his personal energy and focus. This affects his main work. And it disrupts his flow.

Flow is the state where you’re able to focus on finishing a task effectively and efficiently. It’s crucial to our…