Reducing Distractions

I hope you had a great week! Today I wanted to write about a few things I was thinking about this week surrounding reducing distractions, preparing for your next role, and something you can focus on for the week ahead.

Reduce Distractions
We can no longer deny how much of a distraction the internet and our phones are for productivity and mental health. Currently, I’m reading “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains,” written in 2007 by Nicolas Carr. This book is aging like a fine wine, and I think it will be one of those books that people keep going back to over and over again to help us understand what the internet is doing to our brains.

Why is this important to understand? It’s important because the distractions of the internet have made it harder for us to perform well at work. Constantly distracting ourselves makes it harder for us to focus on things necessary to produce high-level work. When we perform well at work, we are more likely to be promoted and given responsibilities that lead to better opportunities.

What Role are you Working Towards?
This video from Jeff Martin and Ryan Serhant stood out to me this week. The primary message of the clip is that when you enter a new role, you should be focused on how you can use that role to help you grow into your next role.

When you start working in a new position, it can be challenging to understand how the sometimes mundane responsibilities of your new job can be setting you up for success in your career. But when you look at those responsibilities as key pieces of your growth and development as a professional, it can help you see the value in those responsibilities.

You may not be happy in entry-level positions, but when you look at those positions as a stepping stone to bigger and better things or your dream job, it can give you the inspiration you need to perform better in that role. Sometimes the only choice you have is to do your current job to the best of your ability so that it can propel you towards your long-term goals. One significant component of this is making sure you are focusing on limiting distractions to produce high-quality work.

What You Can Focus on This Week
This week focuses on limiting your distractions so that you can perform at your best and produce high-quality work. Producing high-quality work in your current role will help you build up the career capital you need to eventually land a role that comes with more responsibility and autonomy.