Sensitive to the clamorous pulls of inner energy

Productivity researchers warn us that our inability to execute is a result of external distractions.

Mounting emails, buzzing phones, loudmouth coworkers, unscheduled meetings, internet browsing, chaotic environments, cigarette breaks, unexpected visits, pointless meetings, noisy neighbors and gossipy water cooler conversations.

But while these various demands on our attention can certainly be sidetracking, scapegoating them for our inability to ship does a disservice to our growth.

Because it exports responsibility. It allows us take out our blame throwers and pass the buck to something simple and concrete and visible, like that annoying barking dog.

That’s why we couldn’t do the work. The real reason we didn’t execute is because we weren’t strong enough to push away our inner distractions. We weren’t sensitive to the clamorous pulls of our mental, emotional and psychological obstacles, such as permission and guilt and fear and anger and stress and unworthiness and hopelessness and notenoughness and, my personal favorite, the compulsive need to control the universe.

Catching up on email is not a distraction, slaying the dragon that tells me I’m a worthless piece of shit, is.

Going to pointless meetings doesn’t derail my productivity, the crippling feelings of anxiety that I’m never going to get hired again, does.

Watching insipid videos on the internet doesn’t keep from doing the work, rebalancing my fragile ego above the precipice of apathy and hopelessness, does.

These are the kinds of inner distractions that we should focus on. If we can master them, there’s not a barking dog on this earth that can stand in our way.

What are the inner obstacles that are preventing you from being effective?