Most Entrepreneurs I know are a distracted bunch. We all seem to have a problem with taking a straight path to problem solving. This is not to be confused with being lazy - i'm talking about active distraction - doing things rather than (what you think) you should be doing.
Our brains don't need to produce thought to work. When your job requires high levels of creativity and energy - its more than normal to be distracted - and usually this distraction is your friend. It allows your brain to do its thing without your consciousness interpreting it and getting in the way.
I have a project to do right now with no deadline. The weather has become nice again and the last thing I feel like doing is sitting on any computer that can't come with me on my hammock - after all - that's why people work from home right?
I can spend an entire week puling weeds, painting rooms, fixing things or watching an afternoon baseball game -anything other than whatever it is that I am working on.
For most people in most careers distraction would be a problem. In my case it has saved me time and again from decisions i'm glad I didn't make. It has become a part of my process. I get introduced to a project or an idea - I get a million ideas - obsess for a few days - get completely distracted for days or weeks with unrelated activities - then I sit down and am able to produce high quality work.
Distraction has a bad reputation - if you are being lazy that's one thing - but if you are solving a problem or starting a project - distraction is your friend.
Some entrepreneurs jump into everything with "two feet" - I think we all have something inside us that wants to do everything RIGHT NOW. Becoming distracted is my brains way of slowing things down so it can catch up!
Next time you cant focus on what you are doing - give into it - you just might surprise yourself with how much more developed your ideas are when you do decide to work on whatever it is you need distraction from.
Ryan Geddes is a writer and entreprenuer located in Toronto Canada. When he's not writing, hes helping with House&Canvas Furniture Paint.