SQUIRREL!! Help in avoiding Distractions

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Rusty Thompson on September 17th, 2024

Lately, I’ve been working on managing my distractions better, and a book by Craig Groeschel called Pre-Decide gave me two big takeaways that really hit home, and I felt compelled to share them with you.

The first is what he calls ‘Move the Line.’ It’s about eliminating distractions before they happen, rather than trying to resist them in the moment. 

That’s why I no longer have Twitter, Snapchat, or Facebook apps on my phone. I even removed GMail notifications. At first, it felt like a big shift, but I quickly noticed how much more present I became—whether that was in meetings, with my family, or just focusing on work without the constant buzzing. We’ve all had those SQUIRREL! moments—when a notification pops up and suddenly we’ve gone down a rabbit hole—but by moving the line, I’m working to remove them from my life.

The second takeaway is Magnify the Cost. It’s not just about the 15 minutes I spend scrolling through Twitter. It’s about what I’m really missing in those 15 minutes—like playing with Griffin, my son. That mindset really changed things for me. Every distraction now comes with a real cost, and more often than not, it’s not worth the time to scroll.

If your time is valuable to you (and I hope it is for everyone!), and you want some encouragement to guard it, I highly recommend grabbing this book. It’s a simple read, but it encouraged me to make real changes in an area I struggle with daily—distractions. Remember, it’s the small adjustments today that lead to bigger victories tomorrow.