This article focuses on why we should avoid distractions as techies, during our early stages or as newbies, during our working hours, and tech journey.

What is Distraction?

Distraction refers to being diverted or sidetracked from a particular FOCUS or TASK. It occurs when external stimuli or internal thoughts and emotions interfere with one’s ability to concentrate, pay attention, or engage fully in an activity.

I will keep this article as simple as possible, I will be focusing on two keywords here, which are FOCUS and TASK.

You will agree with me that to achieve excellent results in life and career we should focus and perform our daily tasks effectively.

What is Focus?

Focus refers to the state of concentrated attention or mental clarity directed towards a specific task, objective, or point of interest.

What is a Task?

A task refers to a specific activity, assignment, or work that needs to be completed within a defined timeframe.

With these definitions above, we can see that the two words focus and task are what we need to do every day to keep growing in our career. So when we fail to focus or fail to perform our daily tasks we tend to lose, the more distractions we have the more we lose, we lose our focus, we lose our priority, we lose productivity, we lose money, we lose sustenance, we lose clients, we lose jobs, we lose it all.

Distractions can come in diverse forms. I will share a short story about a distraction I had that almost cost me to lose it all. When I started learning how to code, two months into the journey I needed more money to take better care of myself, my parents paid my bills then, but I had the distraction of pursuing an extra income or fending for myself, pursuing an extra income or fending for myself at that point was a very good idea but isn’t the focus, I started spending valuable time searching for jobs and ways to make money online, I started losing it bit by bit, I lost focus, I lost fast growth, my learning process was slowed down, I have invested so much time in what is irrelevant at that period because I lost focus and I also lost the ability to carry out my coding task effectively, I lost my priority, I lost time management, I lost it all. One day I asked myself a question, why can’t I get a work, why can’t I follow my classes properly anymore, if I continue this way what is my fate in the next year, will I still be dependent on my parents for cash, or will I stop doing what I loved so much, what is the solution to my problem, I did a deep thinking and found out that I have been distracted all this time, I had to write down my focus. Identify your focus, carry out every possible task, and avoid every distraction that will divert your focus.

There’re so many distractions, the truth about distractions is, when you’re distracted you tend to make another individual richer, you lose your clients to someone else, you lose your job to someone else, and the more you watch youtube videos or use your social media during work hours, or learning hours, the more you lose.

How to avoid distractions

Everyone has their own method of avoiding distractions, but all methods boil down to the steps given below and this is the method I personally use.

1. First, identify your focus. What is your focus, what are the goals I have set for myself?
2. Set your daily goals, tasks, and activities in order of priority.
3. Always asked yourself this question, is this what I’m supposed to be doing now? Am I still on track to meet my set goals?
4. What Am I not doing right and how can I fix it?
5. Don’t rush to a conclusion, think deeply before you take action, if it needs sleeping over the issue, please do it.

Most times we are carried away, because of so many situations around us, but we will always remember to get back up on our feet and take action to become a better version of ourselves to avoid losing it all.