Traction
[The Way of Distraction - II]
Distractions tell us a lot about what we’re trying to avoid. At work. At home. In our relationships. Really, anything that takes focus, hard work, and sustained attention qualifies.
But what if we’re not avoiding those things?
People like us that are doing the work, that are pursuing the call, that are pushing forward with purpose, still get distracted. It’s not an indication of what we’re trying to avoid but an indication that we’re on a slippery surface. Think about it: dis-traction is the loss of traction, connection, footing.
When we’re distracted, our creative energies are getting sapped, our focus and drive diminished, and our deep work is challenged. Not because we're avoiding the work we’re supposed to do, but because we’ve merely stepped off the path of sure footing. The antidote is not trying harder, criticizing self, or hurling swear words at the wall; the antidote is to find traction.
Do you have that thing, that ritual, that mantra that reminds you why you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing (despite what others have advised)? Maybe it’s a word, a prayer, or a picture that resets your feet where your soul knows it’s going. It will, in a moment, remind you why people like us are unwilling to continue with the ways things are, and your specific task as part of the change.