The Big Leap Rewind: 5 Systems to Overcome Distractions and ADHD
Hey look… SQUIRREL!!
Did you look?! Mike knows he would have. He has major ADHD and is easily distracted.
You?
It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or how successful you are.
It happens to the best of us.
The important thing is not what distracts you, but how quickly you can recover from those distractions to get sh*t done.
We all know how easy it is to waste a lot of time with distractions, but what if you could reel it in and put that time into something that brings you freedom and joy? Things that could grow your business and improve your lifestyle.
If you feel like your brain has a million squirrels running around inside, this episode is for YOU! Make sure to listen or watch on YouTube.
Mike has always been super, super ADHD, but he's learned enough about his brain over the years to treat the “challenge” as a creative gift. People are always telling him that they can’t believe how much stuff he gets done. However, he knows in his heart of hearts, that if he would have focused on just one thing, he'd be richer than he is.
He's not unhappy. It's more that he's learned to accommodate his lack of focus. He's interested in A LOT of stuff. He likes doing a lot of things, loves lots of relationships, but when the rubber needs to meet the road, he'll get stuff done to reach the finish line.
In this episode Gay and Mike share five key systems they've developed that not only work for them, but Mike teaches and incorporates them in his advisory work with clients to make sure they’re focused and get what they want.
Here are the steps to move yourself out of distraction quickly:
- Make a “to-do” list daily: From 1 - 10, starting with the thing you want to do LEAST. Doing this every day helps set your priorities and stay organized. Both Gay and Mike are big 3x5 card and white board users. (Mike carries them wherever he goes!) Yeah, there are more modern / digitized ways to keep track of the things you need to accomplish in a day, but they've found that the 3x5 card method really works, and lots of uber successful entrepreneurs use the same method. (Watch the show to see how this is done.)
- Anchoring + Grounding Exercise: First thing in the morning, take a big, deep breath and get totally into your body. Relax through your fingers and toes, all the way to the top of your head. Then, imagine shooting roots out of your legs and into the center of the earth. Imagine these roots grabbing the earth's core like bird feet, tightening and holding the center, but flexible, like a palm tree. Take another big deep breath, get super aware of your surroundings, then ask yourself what emotions or feelings you want to experience today.
- Hone in on your Genius Zone: The more you focus on your “genius” and doing what you most love to do, the easier it is to protect against distractions because you've got more to protect. You're protecting your genius. Decide what the price of your freedom is, decide who and what you want to attract and get really, really good at saying NO to the things you’re no good at or don’t want to do.
- Wait until the last minute: This one might feel counterintuitive, but it works for Mike. He tends to procrastinate, but the pressure of a deadline and HAVING to finish a project in time really gets his creative juices flowing. He's found that if he waits until the last minute to start / finish a project, it takes him less time to complete than if he starts weeks before.
- A Healthy Lifestyle: Sleep until your body wants to wake up, take healthy supplements, meditate, get outside and connect with nature, intermittent fasting (this has been a game changer for Mike—his brain works better on an empty stomach), cut out sugar, caffeine and gluten.
Don't worry too much about what distracts you, measure the time it takes you to get back. The quicker you can get back to whatever you're supposed to be focusing on is the key.
Listen to the whole episode to find out why Gay thinks distractions are a POSITIVE thing, plus how they’ve been able to buy their freedom, work because they want to and because it gives them an outlet for creativity, connection and impacting others. Tune in here now and share with someone you love.