Digital distractions plague all of us to varying extents, preventing us\u2014myself included\u2014from doing the things we want to do. This is a guide for anyone who wants to devote time to practice . . . but ends up fooling around online or playing iPhone trivia games (is that just me?) instead.<\/p>\n
Recognize When it Happens<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the insidious things about the distraction habit is that we often don\u2019t even realize it\u2019s happening. It sneaks up on us, like old age, and before we know it we\u2019re addicted and powerless.<\/p>\n But we\u2019re not really. The power we have is our awareness, and you can develop it right now. Start paying attention to what sites you visit, how often you\u2019re looking at your phone, how long you\u2019re spending in front of a screen all day.<\/p>\n When I wanted to quit smoking, for instance, I developed an awareness of my smoking urges. I carried around a pencil and a small scrap of paper, and put a tally mark on it each time I had the urge to smoke. I could still smoke, but I\u2019d have to put a tally mark first.<\/p>\n This built my awareness muscle, and it allowed me to insert a small space between the urge and my subsequent action. Into that space, however small, I could eventually fit a choice. That was where the power came in.<\/p>\n See What\u2019s Going On<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you\u2019re aware of the distractions and urges, you can start to examine their causes. After hours of following temptations online the other day (I was learning about two new interests, programming and cycling), I stopped and asked myself, \u201cWhat\u2019s this all about?\u201d<\/p>\n It was about fear\u2014the fear that I didn\u2019t know what I was doing and was going to screw it all up. But it actually doesn\u2019t matter even if I do screw it up. My value as a person isn\u2019t tied to my successes or failures.<\/p>\n On the flip side of fear, my distractions are also often about fantasies: I really hope that I\u2019ll be a great programmer or start doing century bike rides or Ironman triathlons. In reality, I don\u2019t have time to do any of that. So I have to let the fantasies go, because they can\u2019t come true unless I\u2019m willing to devote my entire life to one of them for a year or two.<\/p>\n Take Action<\/strong><\/p>\n So you\u2019re building awareness and you\u2019ve examined your causes. If you haven\u2019t yet, take a few minutes to walk around your office or house\u2014or better yet, get outside\u2014and contemplate these things for a few minutes. This article can wait.<\/p>\n Now there are further, concrete steps you can take to rid yourself of digital distractions and focus on what you want or need to do. Consider taking one or more of these actions:<\/p>\n Of course, there are other things you can do. Go on a retreat. Practice mindfulness in bits throughout the day. Take a day off from looking at any screens. The possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n Consider What\u2019s Important<\/strong><\/p>\n We try to do everything, but then we\u2019re not really focusing on anything. We\u2019re not going to make any of our little fantasies come true if we pursue all of them at the same time. Decide: What is the one thing you want to pursue right now? Can you focus on that for at least a month? If not, maybe it\u2019s not that important to you.<\/p>\n In the big picture, what\u2019s truly most important to you? Pick three to four of the most important things in your life. How much of your time is devoted to these things? Can you cut out other things to focus on them? Can you give your most important things your full attention?<\/p>\n In my life, my writing, my family, my health, and my learning are my four most important things. And no, I don\u2019t always devote my full attention to them. I often need to step back and remind myself what\u2019s important.<\/p>\n Fall In Love All Over Again<\/strong><\/p>\n In Pico Iyer\u2019s book The Art of Stillness<\/em>, he says that \u201csitting still is a way of falling in love with the world and everything in it.\u201d This is absolutely true, and it makes clear why distractions can be so harmful: they\u2019re turning us away from the miracle of life all around us.<\/p>\n Sit still for a few minutes and pay attention to what\u2019s around you. Notice the quality of the light. Appreciate any people who might be nearby. Notice the quality of your thoughts, the sensations of various parts of your body, the loveliness of your breath as it comes in and out.<\/p>\n Fall in love with life all over again. And then devote yourself to it completely.<\/p>\n HOW TO FORM THE MEDITATION HABIT<\/strong><\/p>\n Meditation is perhaps the most important habit to maintain if you want to change other habits. It\u2019s a pretty simple habit to form, but the doing is everything:<\/p>\n Commit to just two minutes a day. If you want the habit to stick, start simply. All you\u2019re committing to is two minutes each day. You can go up to five minutes if you\u2019re feeling good about it, and increase it over time\u2014slowly.<\/p>\n Pick a time and trigger. Not an exact time of day, but a general time, like right after you wake up or during your lunch hour. The trigger should be something you already do regularly, like drink your first cup of coffee, brush your teeth, have lunch, or arrive home from work.<\/p>\n Find a quiet spot. Sometimes early morning at home is best, before others in your house are awake and making noise. Or it could be a spot in a park or on the beach or some other soothing setting. It really doesn\u2019t matter where as long as you can sit without being bothered for a few minutes.<\/p>\n Sit comfortably. Don\u2019t fuss too much about how you sit, what you wear, what you sit on, and so on. I like to sit on a pillow on the floor with my back leaning against a wall, because I\u2019m very inflexible. Others use a meditation cushion or bench, but my opinion is that any cushion or pillow will do, and some people can sit on a bare floor comfortably. Don\u2019t go out and buy things you don\u2019t already have.<\/p>\n Focus on your breath. As you breathe in, follow your breath in through your nostrils, then into your throat, then into your lungs and belly. As you breathe out, follow your breath out back into the world. If it helps, count: one breath in, two breath out, three breath in, four breath out. When you get to ten, start over. If you lose track, start over. If you find your mind wandering (and you will), bring it gently back to your breath. Repeat this process for the few minutes of your meditation.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it. Practice for two minutes, every day, after the same trigger each day, and after a month you\u2019ll have a daily meditation habit.<\/p>\n\n
\nFind a place with no WiFi, or turn off your router.<\/li>\n