Guilty of Texting
I always admit when I am wrong. Today an article in the Denver Post caught my eye with the following title:
More Texting Behind the Wheel – Many drivers don’t regard own messaging as dangerous – only everyone else’s
Well, that about sums up my perception and I wasn’t even interviewed for the article. I would say that I only text at stoplights and stop signs, or when in standstill traffic in rush hour. Even this is still not safe as missing a light turn green or giving the signal to another driver that you are not moving is all dangerous. With always being distracted, or not knowing if someone is distracted, then you can’t be at 100%.
Similar can be said in the business world. When in a team situation, if you are distracted then the team can’t succeed. Granted, other team members are able to pick up the slack, but that itself will take a toll. For one, it changes the perception the team has of you. If the team is not able to count on you to hit deadlines or wonder what additional issues you’ll create, then it will be a hard road to recovery. If you want to keep your job or ever be looked at for special projects or promotions then you would want to avoid this. As we’ve seen in politics as well, once there is doubt, good luck getting the trust back.
When it comes to running, in the beginning I needed to be distracted. I had to have music so that I could move forward. My expectation was that if I listened to my body then it would shut down. Basically, ignore any pain or discomfort communication coming into the brain. After proving to myself that I could actually travel the distance, I turned to becoming more efficient. Next thing I know, I’m running a 50 mile race with no music. Just me noticing everything around me. Taking in the scenery, saying hello to people, and waving to the spectators. I found a new level of enjoyment with being okay with recognizing the discomfort while taking in the good around me.
We can’t be distracted by focusing on multiple areas in life. For one, it’s not fair to others that depend on us and you are really not being efficient. Whatever we are working on, we need to give our focus. I no longer accept that texting while having a conversation with someone in front of me is “efficient.” My kids have noticed, other drivers notice, and I’ve noticed.
If you are at work, focus on work, the team, the projects, and communication so that you and everyone else wins. If you are driving, focus on driving, singing to the radio, or listen to a book and learn. If you are with humans, look at them when they talk.
Focus on the big picture of where you are and take it all in to get the most from life.
Nicely put Alex. You always tie in business, real world and running so nicely! I try my best not to text while driving…especially when the kids are in the car since they’re watching and learning from me and I certainly don’t want them to think that texting behind the wheel is good. I have noticed though, how we’ve lost our ability to interact with humans. It seems almost hard to look someone in the eye when talking with them. We’re so used to staring at a screen instead.