Stop Letting Silly Distractions Rob You of Your Dreams.

Be warned about what you allow to take up space in your mind, and constantly pay attention to .

We’re so distracted, and it’s taking a huge toll. The worst part is we don’t even realize it.

I recently committed to a new writing routine.

I promised myself that every time I finished and published a blog, I would only get up from my desk once I had an idea for my next blog and wrote a rough outline.

Committing to this change made me realize how many silly distractions I allowed to take priority over my goal of making a decent amount of money writing online.

So I got to thinking and realized many of us who have goals, who are doing some work to back them up, are still letting default behaviors drive our actions, costing us our dreams.

We're letting time slip by. The one thing we can never get back.

Recently, I've been more intentional about working on my craft — writing.

I'm shocked at the amount of work I'm getting done simply because I'm opting out of distracting myself with social media and instead using my leisure time to work towards my goals.

As I said earlier, I'm implementing a new writing strategy, and it's certainly paying off.

I've written the most blogs in a given period. I'm averaging about half to one blog per day, which is a considerable increase in output for me.

I've wanted to increase the number of blogs I write for a while, but it was when I committed to changing my behavior that it finally happened.

In doing so, I realized how much time I wasted during my downtime. The time I said I would allocate to writing and working towards my goals.

So, if you want to increase your output for your craft, look at what you're genuinely doing during your downtime.

I'm not saying you must give up all the things you enjoy doing that aren't attached to your goals. But if you're committed to said goals, you'll be honest about how your downtime could be managed better to reach those goals.

Social Media, general media, and entertainment distract us from focusing and making a significant change.

If we focused our free time (some of it, not all) on our goals, we would get much more done and achieve our goals faster.

I can't imagine where I would be now if I had decided to focus and apply myself sooner.

But there's no point in dwelling on the past, so I'm making a change now, and it's already paying off.

My idea generation is getting better. My outlines are getting better. My writing overall is improving just from making the commitment and change to focus on writing more.

Imagine what else I could do if I focused this way in other areas of my life.

My mind is going wild thinking about the possibilities.

But just thinking about our goals isn't enough. We need to back them up with action.

Be honest about what's getting in the way of focusing your efforts.

My problem is doom-scrolling social media. Not even television has me this hooked.

Since it's in the palm of my hand (literally), it's become a default to open Instagram whenever I use my phone.

I've decided to be conscious of when I do this and instead put my phone down and choose to do something else. Most of the time, it means writing.

These distractions make us forget that we have the power to transform our lives.

We need to make a decision and commit to it.

We're lied to by our subconscious, telling us that making our dreams come true takes a ridiculous amount of work.

Now, it does take work, and it will take everything you have. But it will not require more than you have.

This means you have everything you need right now to transform your life. You just need to commit to seeing it through.

Social media overwhelms me with information about many different topics, situations, people, places, and opinions.

The absolute truth is none of this stuff affects me as much as my own actions, or lack thereof.

As great as it is to keep ourselves informed about what's happening in the world, nothing will change if we don't take responsibility for our lives and start changing our behavior.

The changes that we keep asking for will only begin taking place when we first start changing ourselves.

As the saying goes, nothing will change unless you change first.

Your life can begin transforming with a change as simple as what you choose to pay attention to.

Like I said earlier, I stopped making social media my default whenever I'm not doing much around my apartment during my free time.

Instead, I choose to sit at my desk and write on my laptop.

My goal is to become a better writer, increase the number of blogs I publish, and, as a result, increase my reach and audience.

If I want to accomplish these goals, I need to give up something, and I'm happy to switch my binge-scrolling sessions to a much more productive activity like writing.

I'm choosing to give writing more of my attention, that's it.

It's simple and manageable. I'm putting my phone down and opening up my laptop instead.

So, if you want to make a real change, start with what you're giving your energy and attention to.

Ask yourself, is this helping me accomplish my goals in any way, shape, or form?

If the answer is yes, then great. Keep going.

But if the answer is no, reevaluate and come up with a different plan of how that time could be used instead.

Like I said, it doesn't have to be a huge change. As I did, it could be as simple as not getting off your desk until you have an idea for your next blog.