I Can't Get No Bad Distractions

Have you ever had to watch something unravel without being able to stop it? That's what happened to me yesterday while I was juggling. Every touch of the ball made it worse and worse and finally, by 403, my shoelace was completely undone.

I'm a pretty agile 30-year-old. That's what my mom says anyway. (She also claims I should be much better at the timed mile, grrr). But avoiding an undone shoelace has never been a distraction I could easily handle. I'm kind of that kid that stops playing in the dirt because she has dirt on her hands.

But today I was like, okay, I'm going to ignore my shoelace and keep going. So, I did. I got to about 600 before I actually stepped on my shoelace and dropped it. I know what you all are thinking. 'Why couldn't you just balance it on your head while you tied your shoelace then continue without dropping it, geez.' Well, for the record I thought of that, but didn't want to be a showoff at the GYM!

Anyway. The whole distraction thing kept my attention for most of the day. (Yes, I realize the irony of the whole thing.)

So I thought about all the distractions I have in my life and which ones are okay (as in, they are allowed) and which ones that are not okay (as in, I shouldn't fall for them so easily).

Some acceptable distractions for me include: pictures of kittens on the internet (go ahead, judge), playing with a 2-year-old, practicing your signature on a white board, trying on your batman mask, cleaning your room, Snapchat, reading (books), watching soccer Vines and reading Tiffany Weimer's blog (free advertising).

Unacceptable distractions: Phone calls from long-winded people, TV, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, going in the kitchen when I'm not even hungry, bringing Oreos up to my room when I'm not even hungry… stuff like that.

In the world we live in today, I feel like it's unrealistic to avoid all distractions. This is the attitude I have adopted anyway. I've learned that to best succeed in every day life, figure out what distractions are necessary for you to get a break and which ones are time wasters and energy suckers.

Of course there are different kinds of distractions, maybe classifying them as major and minor might help. (I have this theory that all people and things can be divided into two categories and on a daily basis try to come up with different ones - I think that will be a blog in its entirety.)

I'm not saying my shoelace was a major distraction in my life. But it was there and I noticed it and I did everything not to give into it. By doing so, I accomplished 200 more juggles. Not a huge feat, but I didn't let it stop me. (high fives)

I think the reason this whole idea intrigued me so much is because I was juggling when I realized it. I have been taking a ball out juggling like that since I was literally 7 years old. (The first two years of soccer I don't think I could juggle, but then again I don't really remember).

I have come across so many distractions throughout my 30 years and trying to figure out which ones are "good" and which ones are "bad" have been quite a process. It's not easy.

The "bad" distractions for me, have been both time consuming, mentally exhausting and yeah I even have a restraining order against one of them. Yep, Facebook can be a betch.

But I'm human. I fall for stupid stuff. It happens. I'm okay with the mistakes I've made and I learn from them. I have learned what I can "waste" time doing without feeling guilty about it. So… yeps. That's it.

The most important thing to remember: Well, only you know what distractions are worth your time. Only you can figure out what is worth stopping your mission for (as long as you go back to it!) Everyone is different. And if you don't think that this photo is worth it, meaning we can never be friends, then that's one less (awesome) distraction you'll ever have to deal with. Just kidding. I just really hope that my blog is on your list of distractions. That's all.