Endless emails. WhatsApp notifications pinging at all hours. Teams messages. “Quick” questions. Crises that erupt without warning. And then there’s our own tendency to just check one thing… only to find ourselves still roaming the internet, or quizzing ChatGPT, half an hour later.
I’ve noticed it in myself recently.
There are parts of my work I love. When I’m designing a new program, coaching a client, or shaping a piece of thought leadership that feels alive, I can slip into flow. Hours pass. I’m fully engaged. Energised. Making meaningful progress.
And then there are the other activities. The ones that are necessary but harder. The infrastructure work. The systems. The strategic decisions that stretch me. The things that truly move my practice forward.
Those are the ones I procrastinate on.
A few days ago, I even set up a jigsaw puzzle. It has become a rather charming form of avoidance. It’s remarkable how appealing fitting together small, colourful pieces can be when compared to tackling something that feels cognitively or emotionally demanding. I would rather solve a puzzle than confront a decision that expands me.
And the longer I delay, the bigger the task becomes. The bigger it becomes, the heavier it feels. And the heavier it feels, the easier it is to be distracted.
Sound familiar?
Distraction Is Not the Real Problem
We tend to believe distraction is about poor discipline or too many notifications. Sometimes it is. But often it’s something deeper.
Distraction is frequently a form of avoidance.
We gravitate toward the work that screams the loudest: the urgent emails, the operational crises, the visible fires. Or we lean into the work that feels enjoyable and comfortable. Both give us a hit of accomplishment. Both keep us busy.
But busy is not the same as strategic.
The work that truly moves us forward. The thinking time, the difficult conversations, the structural decisions, the personal growth, is often quieter. Harder. More ambiguous. It demands focus, courage, and sustained attention.
And in a world designed to fragment our attention, that’s no small ask.
The Executive Paradox
This is a paradox I see repeatedly in the senior leaders I coach.
They are incredibly capable. Highly driven. Deeply committed. Yet they spend most of their time responding rather than shaping. Managing rather than leading. Solving today’s problems rather than designing tomorrow’s advantage.
They tell themselves they’ll get to the strategic work “when things calm down.”
But things rarely calm down.
So the important but non-urgent work, clarifying direction, developing thought leadership, building influence, strengthening infrastructure, cultivating the next level of personal power, gets postponed. Not because they don’t care. But because it’s hard. And because distraction is easier.
Over time, this erodes momentum. Energy leaks. Frustration builds. They sense they are capable of more, yet feel trapped in the day-to-day.
And that gap — between capability and contribution — is costly.
Protect What Matters Most
If distraction is often avoidance in disguise, the solution isn’t simply better time management. It’s conscious choice.
First, name the work that truly moves you forward. Not the urgent. Not the easy. The essential.
Second, create protected space for it. Even 60–90 minutes of uninterrupted focus can change the trajectory of a week. Close the email. Silence the notifications. Remove the jigsaw puzzle.
Third, expect resistance. The discomfort you feel when you sit down to tackle something stretching is not a sign you shouldn’t be doing it. It’s often a sign that you’re exactly where growth lives.
Leadership at the highest level requires the capacity to direct your attention deliberately.
In a distracted world, focus is power.
And when you reclaim your attention, you reclaim your impact and influence.
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