How to Lead in a World of DistractionSample

The only way to combat the old habits of distraction is to develop new habits to create space for emotional curiosity. You might think of them as noise-canceling habits. For you to grow as a leader or as a person, you need to employ these noise-canceling habits on a daily basis. That means you need to get intentional about moving counter to the ingrained, unhealthy habits you’ve formed. 

The first of these noise-canceling habits is simplicity. We all tend to make our lives more complex than they need to be. I know I do. The distractions all around us are huge contributors to that complexity. They consume our time and focus. Even if those distractions are good things, they often take us away from better things.

The thing about practicing simplicity is that it helps you identify your why. And the more clearly you identify your why, the better able you are to simplify your life. It’s a cycle. Simplifying requires not only decluttering our physical lives by getting rid of the stuff we don’t use, don’t need, or that distracts us from more important things. It also means decluttering our emotions. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” Emotionally decluttering means seeking a purity of heart that helps us see God. How awesome is that?

In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus urges us not to be anxious. He uses birds as an example, pointing out that they don’t reap or sow or worry about the future, yet God takes care of them. We are more valuable to God than any bird. You are more valuable to God. That’s what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:8 about being pure in heart so that you can see God. By simplifying the emotional noise all around us, by focusing on God’s love for us, we will see our heavenly Father. And that helps us identify our why.

What’s the emotional noise in your life? What are the distractions that cause you to feel anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed? What can you do to simplify so that you can see God better?