Daily walks have become a source of inspiration since the start of “the great pause.” They are a great way to clear the mind, maybe listen to a podcast, or just ponder.
I take my dogs with me. The big dog, Boss, gets the big loop of about 2 miles. Once we get back, the smaller dog, Eddie, tackles the small loop of about a half mile. One likes to do a marching power walk, while the other tends to meander.
Isn’t that the way? Pets have unique personalities for sure. And sometimes, I scratch my head at their behavior.
The funky pretzel
Boss is relatively new to us. A boxer rescue, he’s adjusting well and is the reason for the long walks. He has energy to spare after lounging in my office all day while I’m working.
He has this funny habit of walking forward, but turning himself in half to look back at you. I’m not sure how he is able to move forward while facing backwards, but he wants to see you and looks like a funky pretzel if you’re walking behind him.
We’ve worked on “heel” and he’s right next to me while we’re power walking. He has become an awesome walking buddy, most of the time. Occasionally he gets distracted. When that happens, he’ll turn around…still walking forward, but looking behind him to continue to watch another dog, human, etc.
Usually, he turns back quick enough. A few times, however, he’s run right into the back of a parked car. Doesn’t matter if I call his name to get his attention…face plant. Instead, I have to physically pull him out of the way.
You might be thinking, silly dog. Or maybe silly owner, letting him run into the back of a car. At least once or twice I have, because I thought it might teach him a lesson. Nope.
You may also be wondering why I’m sharing this story. It’s just a funny story about a dog who gets distracted and walks into the back of parked cars.
The reality is that I see this happening in the real world all too often. Folks turned around, focused on everything but what’s in front of them. Who run into foreseeable obstacles due to distractions.
Distractions around us
There are distractions all around us in life and at work. They are waiting to take our focus away from our passion, objectives, and goals.
For example, we can get caught up on what’s going on with others in our team or organization. We focus on what they are doing or not doing, getting or not getting.
We may say it’s about fairness. Maybe that’s true. Newsflash…the world isn’t fair. We are even more aware of that than ever before. But it will not suddenly get more fair by worrying about what everyone else is doing.
The energy spent focusing on fairness has a cost. That cost is energy that could be spent on what we’re doing. And what we’re doing is what moves us towards what we’re getting.
Distractions behind us
Some of the biggest distractions are those behind us. They are things that we’ve already experienced, but we haven’t let go of. Energy getting sapped away that could be spent on what we’re experiencing now, and what’s coming.
Examples of the distractions behind us are endless. They are past performance, former managers, or old relationships. They show up in the fears we associate with a repeat of those experiences. We give power to the past, instead of putting that power towards the future.
There’s an old adage that those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. While I agree with that to a point, we can’t live there. If we live in the past, we aren’t focused on the present and moving towards the future. Or we might be moving forward, but headed straight into the back of a parked car.
The “six” distraction
Coming from a military background, I often have expressions that don’t translate to the civilian sector. If you’ve every watched Top Gun, however, you have to be familiar with the expression “watch your six.”
What that means is “watch your six o’clock” or “watch your back.” For a pilot, having another plane sneak up behind you is a sure fire way to get shot out of the sky.
For the rest of us, that may translate not only to watching our back, but covering our “six” (aka CYA). Making sure we have plausible deniability, or justification to support whatever action or inaction we’ve decided on.
This is yet another energy and focus suck. I’m not a huge fan of covering my “six”. When asked why, my response has frequently been “if I’m busy staring at my ass, I’m going to trip over my feet.”
If we are focused on what’s ahead of us, we can move forward faster and anticipate obstacles. That fast pace means there are few people behind us waiting to take us out. They are just hoping to keep up.
Limit distraction and focus forward
It’s inevitable that we will get distracted. We are bombarded with inputs constantly, between an “always on” culture made possible through cell phones, social media, non-stop meetings, and more.
To keep focusing forward, and avoid those parked cars, we can take five steps:
1. Determine the goals or outcomes of our work, relationships, or other aspirations that we want our focus to be on. It is only by knowing what we want to achieve that we can decide what is or is not moving us towards that goal.
2. Identify the most common distractions pulling our focus. The areas that are unhealthy or unhelpful, and pull energy away from our most important endeavors.
3. Notice when distractions occur. For example, maybe we regularly find ourselves comparing ourselves and our progress to our peers. Recognizing the inner (or outer) dialog that comes with comparisons would be a cue that we’re distracted.
In some cases, it may be difficult for us to recognize a distraction in the moment. If so, sharing our intention with an accountability partner – maybe someone we sound off to regularly – would be helpful. This person can give us a verbal cue when we are making comparisons until we can develop that self-awareness.
4. Redirect focus back on the present and/or the future we are trying to create. Divert energy away from the distraction, maybe with a reminder of the importance of our goal or priority.
Let it go
No matter the distraction, in order to move forward quickly and safely on what matters most to us, we must channel our inner Elsa.
5. We need to let it go. Let go of distractions. Of what’s behind us. Of things going on around us we cannot control.
Instead, it’s time to see what we can do when we’re distraction-free. With no worries about twisting ourselves up like a pretzel, or running into parked cars, our time and energy can be amplified.
Let it go and be free.
