The Distraction Trap: 3 Steps to Take Back Control
(#xp2win | On a Journey... Chasing Better)
I read a lot of books and writings from authors about personal and organizational improvement. Today, when you scroll through any personal development content, much of it centers around discipline, structure, and focus.
Why is that so prevalent right now?
Because distraction is at an all-time high in the history of the world.
The Attraction of Distraction
One of the most powerful conversations I've encountered on this topic comes from Brian Tracy, who refers to it as "the attraction of distraction":
Brian Tracy talks about the attraction of distraction and how distraction destroys focus.
“The one thing that can have the greatest impact on your life at any time is focus.
Focus is the key to your success.
That's why I'm so concerned about what I call ‘the attraction of distraction’.
It is so disturbing because it guarantees failure in life.
You actually become addicted to distraction, and you can't stop. And if you are addicted to distraction, you can't focus. And if you can't focus, you haven't got a chance against someone who can.
Many of you are a little bit surprised when I talk about it because you hadn't really thought about it, then you really think about how much time you spend during the day, distracted. And the answer is about 80%. And the rest of the time, by the end of the day, you're too tired to do anything worthwhile - those really important things that have big potential consequences.”
Let that sink in: 80% of your day.
The main takeaway from Tracy’s message is simple but profound:
If distraction controls you, focus abandons you.
We live in the noisiest world of all time - the average person spends 80% of their day distracted.
What is most dangerous about distraction is not that you waste a lot of time or that you don’t get your chores done, but it’s that distraction steals your ability to focus on the worthwhile things in life, those really important things that make all of the difference in your success in life. Things like being present as a parent, spouse, student, or leader.
Distraction Isn’t New — But It’s Louder
The environment we live in today is flooded with distractions. But this didn’t start with smartphones.
Back on December 19, 2014, Entrepreneur.com published an article by Michael Simmons that perfectly captured what many of us still experience:
“One minute I was focused on the most important thing on my to do list; the next I was on a news site or on social media with dozens of tabs open in my browser. Once I started noticing myself on Facebook while I was driving, I knew something had to change.”
“Constant distractions had rewired my brain and were having a direct impact on my company's success and even my safety.”
We all live in that tension between what matters most and what screams the loudest.
The Uncomfortable Truth
On Mel Robbins’ podcast, bestselling author Diego Perez (known as Yung Pueblo) talked about the destructive nature of distraction:
Brian Tracy - Distraction vs Focus Quote
“You're alone. You start to feel self-conscious or lonely. You can't handle that feeling so you reach for the drink. You don't like being on your own because then you get lost in your thoughts. So you are constantly reaching for friendships or toxic relationships or for a lot of people, it's like social media. It's this constant need to fill something. Yeah. And it's some form of distraction, right? You're trying to just busy your mind with something external so that you don't have to face the reality within. And it becomes really challenging because you can fall into that level of survival mode where it becomes dangerous. It just becomes dangerous to your livelihood.”
We as humans often create distractions to avoid dealing with the deeper issues in our lives.
And as Perez warned, “it becomes dangerous.”
The Cost is Too High - Step by Step to Build Focus
Managing distraction isn’t about rigid control—it’s about intentional design.
We can’t eliminate every noise, but we can train our minds and environments to serve what matters most.
Here’s a Step-by-Step Process for Eliminating Distraction and Building Focus:
Step 1: Establish Awareness and Inner Clarity
This step is all about the understanding and acknowledgement that a big driver of getting distracted is that we were looking for it in the first place and the motivation is to avoid something. If you don’t start with this and stay in denial distraction will not get any better, it will certainly get worse.
Acknowledge and Gain Self-Awareness: You cannot change what you do not notice. Be aware of your inner dialogue and recognize the craving for distraction. Be honest with yourself, are you craving distraction because you are afraid to feel your emotions?
Choose to Sit and Feel it: Sit and feel what is coming up (sadness, anxiety, boredom) instead of immediately reaching for a distraction. Find peace by focusing on the present moment, where joy, wisdom, and happiness arise.
Step 2: Prioritize, Plan, and Schedule
Use Warren Buffett’s 2 List Strategy (Elimination):
Action 1: Write down your top 25 career goals. (Note: you could also complete this exercise with goals for a shorter timeline. For example, write down the top 25 things you want to accomplish this week.)
Action 2: Review your list and circle your top 5 goals.
Action 3: The 5 goals you circle become List A and the 20 items you did not circle become List B.
Most of us would start working those top 5 goals right away and the other 20 are still important so we’ll work on those intermittently as we can. They are not as urgent, but we would still plan on giving them dedicated effort.
But, Buffet’s strategy emphatically says “No. You’ve got it wrong!” Everything you didn’t circle just became your Avoid-At-All-Cost list. No matter what, these things get no attention until we’ve succeeded with the top 5.
Schedule Everything: Assigning work to specific times reduces procrastination by making the decision already made. Block off the estimated time for important tasks and add 33% more time just to be sure.
Step 3: Implement Daily Habits and Discipline
Train Your Mind Daily (Repetition): Mental training must be daily. Set aside time each morning and evening to reflect on goals, affirm beliefs, and visualize progress. This repetition rewires your mind, helping destructive thoughts lose their grip. And recognizing those distractions that are looming and reinforcing the importance of staying focused.
Take Action, Not Just Vision: Thought alone cannot create. Take action, even imperfectly, because it signals to the mind that your goal is real. The path to achievement is marked by persistent action, even when motivation is absent.
Limit Distractions: Consult this article about apps and tools available to limit distraction.
The Bottom Line
Distraction isn't just inconvenient—it's stealing your life one scroll, one notification, one "quick check" at a time.
The cost is too high. Your goals, relationships, and potential are on the line.
Be intentional. Take control. The Step-by-Step Plan to Building Focus will get you there.
💬 Join the Conversation
What’s your biggest distraction right now—and what’s one step you’ll take this week to regain your focus?
👇 Drop it in the comments. Let’s build focus together.
