The Sneaky Thing That Is Distracting Most People

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, CNN, ABC, FOX, the podcast you listened in the car, the sci-fi book you read, etc. etc. etc.These are all media from which we consume "content."Many people really seem to like the content of truisms, idioms, platitudes, or just plain old "sayings."

The trouble with "sayings" is that without context, they don't mean anything.

This is a platitude.It's just like a horoscope.

It could apply to anyone at any point in their lives.

Without context, it's hard to say "that's not true."Without context, it's hard to know how to empathize with the idea and understand it.Without context, it's downright impossible to not be confused by outright contradictions!

Here are some examples of what I mean:

"Good things come to those who wait."and"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."Or how about:"Better late than never."and"The early bird gets the worm."

Do you get my point?

It's impossible to vet any of this as useful without knowing to what the statement is referring.It's fluff.It's filler.

It's a pointless distraction and most people are falling for it.

At the moment, we are living in the Information Age, where it's up to us to calibrate our "B.S. detectors."Keeping context in mind is a huge part of the battle.If you want to understand people, make an impact, or move in the direction of your dreams, you're going to need to bring context into view.

2 Minute Action

What is one information source you use daily?Today, as you go through your routine, consider where "information" on this medium is coming from.It only takes an extra second--not even two minutes--to ask yourself:"Is this true in other cases?""Would this always apply to other parts of my life?""When does this not apply?"

A Little Known Shortcut To Instantly Increasing Efficiency

You're not going to like this one.It's one of those "simple but not easy" idioms.

If you want to increase your efficiency or productivity:

Delete most of your tasks. I get that this is a bit of a clickbait-y headline, but stick with me.It's important to focus on what matters.Email is everyone else's to-do list for you--so don't start your day with that.Phone calls feel urgent, but if it's important enough to pick up, they'll call you again.Meetings can either be delivered as an email or scheduled as a phone call instead. If you absolutely HAVE to go to meeting try standing up. We tend to get straight to the point when we're standing instead of sitting.You get the point.What else do you NOT have to do, today?

2 Minute Action:

Check your to-do list and run through it with this question in mind:What would happen if it didn't get done? How bad are the consequences?Just remember that every item on that list should fight for its life to stay there.Delete a few excess tasks every day and then multiply that by a lifetime?Now we're talking.