“Are you down to beeeee…a distraction, baby?”

Anyone know what song that is?? Anyone?? Let me know in the comments if it’s your jam too (I’ve literally had it as my ringtone since it came out in 2016 lol 😄)

*Pause the Post* Can I Be Vulnerable with You?

I almost didn’t post this because as I was writing it, I realized that it was like some notes I would’ve taken for a Motivational Mishy Monday episode, and a HUGE part of me was like, You gotta save this! Don’t post this yet, make this the first episode of the next season when it’s time!

But after days and days of sitting and thinking on this, I realized that if I kept these things to myself for a later day just to have content to post, I could totally be missing out encouraging someone who needs to hear this right now. And how selfish of me to not be able to encourage and inspire someone now just because I wanted to have something to post later because that isn’t the point of what I do.

All that to say! This content is now yours. 😊 And I’m more than happy to give it to you today 💚 As a creative, I’m really paying attention to my mindset and motives as I move forward with everything I’ve got going on presently. And presently, to be honest: Motivational Mishy Mondays is at the back of my mind right now, and that’s okay. Because I still have this platform to encourage when I can in the midst of other projects and things going on! 🙌🏽

So! Onto the true topic of this post…

Before I started writing this, I was scrolling through Instagram, and back-to-back was hit with some posts about distractions, and not letting them consume our lives so much that we don’t do what we need to do, or we don’t live our lives fully.

Of course, feeling convicted, I got off Instagram and began writing this post. Because I know I could spend a good amount of time just scrolling through people’s feeds and stories and whatnot, when I could be getting some work done. And I’ve got a lot of work to do, which is a good thing!

On an episode of that lovely podcast I wrote about a few weeks ago, Pray Plan Slay, the host talked about the 2 P’s: perfection and procrastination, and how both of these can hinder the manifestation and success of the visions and dreams we all pursue. I honestly struggle with both of these, although I am getting better. But right now, I know I’m wrestling hard with procrastination, and distractions feed into this so heavily.

I distract myself with so many things, like cleaning my apartment (giving the excuse that it needs to be done, or my mental state can’t handle it being unclean and disorganized) and scrolling through Instagram, causing me to compare myself and start a spiral of negative thoughts that have taken me completely far from any motivation to do anything. But I can also distract myself with other projects that, even though I should be working on them at some point, they aren’t the priority right now, and I should be working on more pressing things that are coming up.

Okay, So, How Do We Fight It?

As I say all the time when I’m giving advice or motivating, I give these tips to myself while I give them to you. Because everyone faces distractions, even the person who seems to have everything all planned, organized, and figured out. Who knows how long it’s taken the people who we deem self-disciplined to actually learn how to be that way? 🤷🏽‍♀️

Here’s a few tips on how we fight the distractions…

1. Pray About It.

I’m telling, y’all, it WORKS! Ask God to remove the distractions out of your life, whether it’s a certain chore, a certain thing, or even a certain person! Ask Him to center your mind on the things that you need to accomplish, and for strength to continue that focus.

Remember to lean on the power of the Lord in your weakest moments, and trust that He’ll bring you through it. He is more than capable of providing the motivation you need to do what you need and want to do! You simply need to ask!

2. Don’t Even Go There

Sometimes, we know what our distractions are, where they tend to be, but we choose to go down that road anyway, using excuses like, “I’ll just be on there for like five minutes!” or “It’ll just take a second, I’ll be there and back in no time!” But we know ourselves, and we know it’ll take longer than we say it will, maybe because we prolong it ourselves, or we just allow the distraction to take us away.

If you know something or someone is a distraction from what you need to be doing, don’t. Even. Go. There. Don’t even place yourself in that position to begin distracting yourself from what you need to do! Avoid it until you get the task(s) done, and do not make excuses for the distractions. Just don’t even go there if you know you’ll be there longer than you need to be!

3. Prioritize

If you’re getting distracted by something that should be done, but not right at this second, take the time to write out a list of priorities from MOST IMPORTANT to least important. Take this topic for example: I’m currently working on blogging more consistently, and not on videos for Motivational Mishy Monday’s. So, if I’m prioritizing correctly, then this topic should be used now, and not wait until later because this blog is of most importance currently.

I don’t write that to say that it isn’t wise to plan ahead; of course it is! And if you come up with something, sometimes it may be wise to wait it out and let it build instead of just throwing it out there immediately. But if you’re constantly feeling the nudge (aka the Holy Spirit) telling you it’s time, or bringing it back to your attention, or showing you things that tell you, Hmm, I feel the need to do this, then it may be time to go ahead and DO THE THANG!

Prioritize the things that are happening sooner rather than later! Don’t heavily work on something that’s due in a month until you finish the task that’s due in a week!

4. Get Out Ya Feelings

It’s good to feel and acknowledge emotions, be them positive or negative. But I find that wallowing in mostly negative emotions can cause me to be distracted from the things I need to do. If I’m in my feelings about something, I can either choose to continue putting myself through that negative cycle, therefore hindering my productivity process

***What I’m NOT saying is: “Don’t process your pain.” Because there will be times when you do need to be emotional and just feel everything, and take time to work through certain things that have been difficult for you personally. I’m mostly talking about negative emotions/attitudes like comparison, pride, jealousy, the “woe is me” that cause us to focus more on ourselves than on the things we are called to accomplish.

***What I AM saying is: “Don’t be there longer than you need to be.” Don’t stay stuck in those feelings, be sure to work through them as best you can, in the timing it takes for you. Maybe working through those emotions is your #1 priority, and if that’s the case, by all means, work on that and don’t let anything else distract you! 😄

I hope this was helpful and encouraging for you! If not, I know I at least needed to write these things down and be reminded of them myself. Keep the distractions at bay! Don’t let things hinder you from growing in whatever area of your life you need to grow in, it doesn’t have to be about your passion or career; it can be spiritual, emotional and mental as well!

What are some things distracting you from putting in work where it really counts? Which one of these tips really hit home for you, and how are you going to apply it to your life today?

Mishy 🦋🌿