Today, I choose to be powerful

We are flooded with misinformation and garbage disguised as content. Distractions abound both online and off. In a city like New York, that can mean six hours of random hammering-on-metal. Not in a pattern, so you could maybe ignore it after a while. Nope. This is New York. It’s random and LOUD.

Reactions to these distractions vary from “meh” to “come the FUCK on” (the latter a given in reaction to Trump’s latest … anything he does—anything).

But guess what? We allow ourselves to get distracted. 

Wading in a mud puddle

As I’ve gotten older, as the “newness” of the entrepreneurial journey has worn off, it’s sometimes hard to summon the focus and verve I had back when survival and bucking the 9-5 system were the primary motivators.

It’s not about complacency, though; it’s about shiny fucking objects.

When you’re depleted, distracted, flitting from one shiny object to another, it bleeds into the energy of everything else: work satisfaction and quality, how you approach people and problems, even getting out of bed. You rely instead on superficial stimulants, which can destabilize your mood, tweak your serotonin levels, and destroy your productivity.

Lack of focus diminishes your ability to have foresight and reframes your to-list into a what-now list.

How’s the ol’ think tank?

While I remain largely suspicious of the evils that might emerge from AI in the wrong hands, Brain.fm is clearly AI put to good use—machine-made music tied to cognitive science.

The music was developed on the principle of Emergent Intelligence:

Emergence is a process whereby complex patterns arise through interactions among simpler entities. Every instrument, and in many cases every note, beat or raindrop, is its own little brain interacting with other musical elements to produce a more complex composition.

While I have yet to test the Sleep or Relax modes, Focus plays through headphones throughout my day now like the electronica backing track of nearly every episode of “Mr. Robot.”

Envious of Elliot Alderson

Who doesn’t want to become Elliot Alderson? Dude powers through problems with purpose, creates solutions, is fully in the present moment. He might have about six dozen other issues, but in those moments when he’s hacking, you’re right there with him. And if you’re like me, you’re greedy for that empowerment.

Focus gives you power.

When you’re not weighed down by distraction or aggravated by email / text / call / tweet / President…, you’re then able to elevate above the to-do to a strategic level, to: Where are we heading, and are we on the right path to get there?

Disconnect from the addiction

Consider minimizing time on your phone in general and largely axing your social media time. There’s no need to spend mindless tens of minutes scrolling. Opt for Apple News or Flipbook for news stories—for obvious reasons—and limit your social media time to specific points in the day.

Then lift your head, put the phone aside, and do literally anything else. Even if all you do is pour a glass of wine. (Some addictions, after all, are necessary.)

[For DIY small business owners and others who “have to be on social for work” (a sad reality for all too many of us and my excuse for too long), check out our social media management service.]

Today is as good a day as any to commit to shutting out all the nonsense, quieting the voices that distract you, rising above the chatter, and operating from a place of empowerment.

This post is dedicated to my brother, who introduced me to both Brain.fm and “Mr. Robot.” This is a featured series whose purpose is to unite and uplift all those out there trying to create and recreate a better world while balancing internal and external overwhelm. Follow us on Instagram to catch the latest.