There’s a lot to be said for knowing how to ignore distractions and focus. Sometimes you have to dedicate not just a few hours, but a significant stretch of your life – weeks, maybe months – to a particular project. The timeline is intense, and being pulled away from your rhythm can mean not succeeding at all.
When you come up for air to keep your body and mind energizes, you should even do this with intention. Exercise breaks, healthy meal regimens, and genuine relaxation and social time are all part of the successful marathon. But getting caught up in things that don’t energize you are the opposite. Yes, take breaks to see friends and family. No, don’t take breaks to doomscroll and get blackout drunk.
Of course, even in the midst of the marathon, there is one thing I think is worth breaking from the routine a little for. And that’s opportunity.
Look, I’m a pragmatist. If I’m training for a real marathon and my training is important to me, I don’t want to stop in the middle of my practice run, ruining my time and my momentum, to check social media. But if I see a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk while I’m running? I’m not made of stone, man.
Likewise, there are metaphorical “hundred-dollar bills” along the way of your life, sometimes. They’re worth pausing for – if you have the sense to differentiate them from the pennies.
The Opportunity Machine 