While talking with a friend today, I described my concept of the "to don't list" as well as a few of my personal best practices related to smartphone usage. In the midst of our conversation, it occurred to me that there's such a thing as a good distraction. It's difficult for even the most disciplined person to stay focused all the time on long-term projects and personal productivity. We all need a mental break! Yet, speaking from experience, all too often I'm wont to pull out my smartphone or computer and check the headlines, even though I've been on a low-information diet for 10-15 years and intellectually I know the news isn't helpful for my state of mind. At least for me, this a bad distraction!
By contrast, for me good distractions include:
Thinking about what makes for good distractions will, I suspect, cause me to be even more intentional about seeking them out, thus solidifying the practice.
As another friend of mine likes to say: "Good habits are hard to break." True - but it's forming them in the first place that's the challenge! ;-)
(Cross-posted at philosopher.coach.)
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