Lately, I’ve been distracted. Not just here and there — for the better part of two weeks. Every time I sit down to write, something pulls me away. Half the time it isn’t even important. Just noise. Like a squirrel darting across the floor, my focus chases after it.
In the past, I might have shrugged and said, that’s life. But not now. I know what I need, and I know when I’m drifting. If I don’t set boundaries to recenter myself, I’ll spiral deeper into distraction.
We live in a world built on distractions. And the common advice? Find balance. I don’t buy it. Balance works for a moment, but distractions always creep back in. What’s worked for me isn’t balance — it’s elimination. If it’s gone, it can’t pull me.
Of course, what works for me might not work for you. And that’s the tricky thing about advice. I love hearing other people’s stories, but I’ve learned to take them for what they are: their maps, not mine.
I read something recently that nailed it:
Most advice sucks. It’s well-intentioned, but it’s dangerous to use someone else’s map of reality to navigate yours, even if they’re experienced. Winners learn to filter and selectively implement advice. Take the signal, skip the noise.
That hit me. Distractions are everywhere. Advice is everywhere. The real work is figuring out what’s signal and what’s noise in your life — and having the discipline to eliminate what doesn’t serve you.
beneaththesurface 