The miracle is in the mundane

Sticking to one thing is not a natural discipline I possess. 

I am addicted to distraction and the short term buzz it gives me. I am guilty of choosing distraction over discipline of flexing my attention rather than fixing it on one task.

Smartphones send alert us to notifications accompanied by an enticing buzzing vibration. The buzz of a device that makes it difficult to ignore. It makes us feel needed, creates curiosity and an invites intrigue. A buzz seemly feeds us what the mundane does not. 

The buzz will give us an addictive shot of dopamine seemingly rewarding us for responding to the call. The buzz feeds the moment but does not build the life we desire.

It is the mundane repeated actions of implementing our plan that produce the miracle we long for. Responding and reacting repeatedly to the buzz causes us to give up what we want most for what we can get now.

The buzz of distraction causes mission drift and today I was struggling with it big time. So I decided to write this and re-engage with the ‘mundane’ activity of the mission to produce the miracle.

Our craving for the ‘buzz’ of distraction reveals the following..

Our future picture needs re-clarifying

Focus is lost when the picture of an inspiring future becomes vague. When the clear lines of our vision become blurred we lose the connection between present day decisions and future outcomes. It is the small repeated daily choices that are building the scenes of tomorrow. 

On my way into work this morning I walked past the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich where they have been filming for Sherlock’s Daughter starring Robert Downey Junior. The film set aims to create a scene from the late 1800’s. Many months, weeks (possibly years) have gone into creating minutes of footage to bring us into the reality of the story. 

Building ‘fake scenery’ can not give a person much of a buzz unless they are involved in the planning stage where the full picture of the film is being dreamed up. When you are privy to the ultimate goal of what you are creating I guess it shoots a buzz into your veins that motivates.

The scenes of my tomorrow are being built in piece by piece today.

What scenes do you long to experience in your life? What do you want your loved ones to experience? In what way are you going to impact other people’s lives with your life? Picture a future that inspires you and connect that picture to the ‘miraculous’ mundane.

Our mission needs re-aligning

The reason we crave the buzz is because we want the feeling of being wanted. We like to feel feel needed. We want attention.

What happens when that doesn’t come? 

For me it challenges my motives. Why am I doing what I am doing…really? I know what I want my motive to be but sometimes my craving for positive feedback makes me realise I have drifted towards my mission being about me. 

Our mission should be about how we can put the buzz into other people’s lives. How about sending that message, email, making that phone call, having that coffee that puts the buzz into someone else. Make them feel what you long to feel. Guess what you won’t go without!

Finally…

Our belief needs re-igniting  

We have a bias towards the things that can be seen. If I really believed that the mundane tasks were creating the miracle of tomorrow I would push all distraction aside and focus. 

When I stop believing in the future I get distracted by comparison. I flirt with ideas to do something different and involve myself in meaningless activity. When uncertainty is not dealt with it causes me to put my security in what is seen. 

Our future always starts in the unseen and starts with belief followed by the biggest and best action towards making that a reality. Tell the distractions to buzz off because you are building the miracle with the mundane.

Coaching Question:

Which of the three do you recognise as your achilles heal when it comes to distraction? 

The opportunity for distraction is only going to increase. Whilst the majority of people are happy to go with its flow, don’t give up what you want most for what distraction gives you now.