A photo of a man’s chest taught me how dangerous distraction is

On Monday morning, bright and early, a friend sent me a post-workout photo of himself. He was covered in sweat and his pectoral muscles were displayed in all their glory. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I completely lost focus. That man’s chest was all I could think about for the whole day. In fact, if I’m being honest, that chest is all I’ve thought about this entire week. 

man's chest
Photo: Unsplash/Karsten Winegeart

I’m supposed to write a post everyday this week, and I have an accountability partner who makes sure I follow through on my writing goals. When she reached out to me yesterday, I explained my predicament. She gave me a concession but insisted I must write something today. So here I am, writing about that glorious chest because that’s the only thing on my mind now. 

Thankfully though, life’s greatest lessons are usually hidden in small and seemingly mundane moments. So there’s a lesson in all this. We live in a very distracted world today. We’re constantly scrolling through feeds and staring at screens unaware of what’s really happening around us. It has become our new normal, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous.

READ MORE: A person can look at you like hot Agege bread and still not want to be with you

This week, while I was focused on that man’s chest, my goals suffered. I spent the week in a haze and couldn’t concentrate enough to do anything tangible. It’s cute because this is a funny story. But the truth is, I missed out on some important things because I got distracted. 

We can’t avoid distractions, but we can control them. In my case, maybe if I had waited till the afternoon to get on social media, my entire Monday wouldn’t have been derailed. Maybe if I had stuck to my schedule, I could have gotten some work done before stumbling upon those gorgeous pecs. 

READ MORE: My life would be so much easier if I could just like the people who like me

The key to controlling distraction and keeping it from stalling your progress is to stay on top of it. Basically, check yourself before you wreck yourself. I’m sorry I’ve made this beautiful story about an equally beautiful chest into a motivational speech, but I have an accountability partner to satisfy. Thanks for reading, and please don’t judge me. God bless you. 

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