One of my favorite track and field events is the hurdles. I love watching the precision and the piercing concentration of the runner's faces as they strain every muscle and clear each hurdle. The crashes can be painful to watch, but I still love the energy of this event.
In the hurdles of life, however, I don't like putting out that much effort. I prefer keeping my jumps low and manageable, so I can clear them with ease and proficiency. I enjoy a day focused on controllable goals and like to end the day happy and satisfied that I ran that day's race well. Recently, those days seem far and few between because I keep getting distracted.
A hurdler cannot afford distraction. Once they are in the air, the landing and the jump ahead must be their next focus. Mid-jump is not the time to look around, check out the opponent, or get self-confident because it takes concentrated effort to complete the race without tumbling.
Distractions are villains, stealing our time, effort, and progress. I've heard of all sorts of ways to keep them from their thievery. One way is to not turn on your internet until you have everything completed that does not require the internet. Imagine that! For me, that would mean getting dressed, making the bed, getting breakfast, and maybe even doing some housework before I picked up and turned on my phone. That sounds like a real challenge!
If you work from home, that will mean not turning on your computer until you are ready to start work and turning it completely off when your workday is finished.
Why keep the internet turned off? Because of all the pop-ups and notifications that distract you from your work. You know the drill. You start working on your lesson, doing your study, trying to get a project complete, and here comes the ping of a notification. Curiosity means you click to see, and before you know it, you have clicked and clicked and clicked. You have gotten so distracted you can't find your way back to what you were doing.
I think the enemy - that villain - wants us side-tracked. He knows if we focus, we accomplish things for God's glory. That defeats his whole purpose. He is the author of confusion and comes to destroy - even our progress. He wants us to stumble at every hurdle.
Another way to circumvent distraction is to work to a plan - have a list of things to accomplish. I have those floating all around my workstation. They help me think about what I should be doing and give me a sense of accomplishment when I strike them through or tick them as completed. Some lists are short-term - to be done today. Others are medium-term - to be done within a week to a set time frame. And others, that float and float, are the long-term ones. These keep me pointed toward the future; they shape the lesser goals.
This thought challenged me - What if instead of focusing on reaching goals, we focused on how we worked toward those goals?
Well, a hurdler knows that looking down the track and seeing the hurdles isn't enough. The secret is found in how well they train, the physical approach, the mental concentration, and the practice no one sees. Winning the race doesn't happen because they have a want to win. It is accomplished by setting out to win. Winning happens behind the scenes in the everyday choices and practices that create strength and endurance in the hurdler as he works toward his goal. It is the same for us.
So, I have to ask myself, and I challenge you to ask yourself, how well are we preparing for the race? Do we have focused practice, or do we get easily distracted? Are we stretching forth to higher goals or happy jumping puddles? Are the villains of distraction haunting us, or do we have a plan for limited them? Good intentions will not be enough. It's time to knuckle down and make daily choices with our eyes and hearts fixed on the next hurdle!
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