Distracted by Distraction

A close friend has stepped into a maelstrom. Her job, finances and marriage seem to have simultaneously taken a downward turn. Oddly enough, though her life seems quite full of challenges, she has suddenly become obsessed with the idea of having a baby.

Another business acquaintance, at a critical stage in building his business, one in which he really needs to be out shaking hands and sharing coffee, has immersed himself in a new technology project that has him glued to his computer instead of his phone.

It’s an illogical but predominant instinct. Our lives become too full, our business hits a crucial fork in the road, and rather than carving out a spot of time so that we can think clearly or act definitively to resolve the issues we know we’re already facing, we add to the pile. We substitute, or confuse, activity for productivity.

“Distracted by distraction from distraction,” as T.S. Eliot once put it. We get so distracted that we are no longer conscious of being distracted, or don’t remember what it’s like not to be distracted.

These are smart people, making not so smart choices. It’s a behavior I’ve seen show up so frequently around me that I’ve become consumed with putting my finger on the “why” of it.

What’s your take on why they and so many other entrepreneurs fall into this trap?