One of the greatest enemies to conscious living is distraction.

Distraction can arise from worrying about what others think, out-of-bounds curiosity, and too many responsibilities. However, distraction does not help our situation in the slightest.

Distraction is usually characterized by a cloudy state of mind. It is not that our minds are thinking clearly about something we don’t want them to, but rather that are thoughts are just foggy. Also, it is usually hard to put a reason on why we are distracted, especially since we are not thinking very rationally.

So, how do you minimize distraction? Well, first off, realize that the simpler your life is, the less distraction will be an issue. So, think of scaling down your life. Dispense with responsibilities that are not important. Get rid of some of the clutter in your life. Take time to meditate.

However, sometimes we get distracted for no explicable reason. Consider doing the following when this is the case:

1. Breathe. The power of breath is simply amazing. Allow fresh oxygen into your lungs as you inhale deeply and let your stress and distraction melt away as you exhale slowly.
2. Ask yourself why you are distracted. You do this to find out if there is a “good” reason for the distraction. If nothing is forthcoming, then your distraction is purposeless, and you should move to step four.
3. Write down the reason you are distracted. Perhaps you scored poorly on a test, a relationship went south, or your back hurts. Don’t brood over the distraction. Just write it down so you can deal with it proactively at the appropriate time.
4. Follow your paradigm, even if you feel dead doing it. This takes faith in yourself. The desire to brood is very strong, but it will only produce more distraction or depression. Just do it! Realize that the more you do this, the easier it will be to get out of depression and distraction when they happen again.
5. Consciously put your mind into your current activity. It is not enough just to physically start following your paradigm. You have to purposely focus your mind on your current activity. If it is studying, understand the subject completely, look things up online you don’t understand, memorize the concepts. If it is exercising, think about the muscles you are using, your breathing, your posture.

Avoiding and escaping distraction are not easy to do. But they are incredibly rewarding.

This skill will enable you to pursue your dreams and not be stuck in the rut of triviality. Triviality that is dispensable.