Are you easily distracted by your thoughts at work and at home? Do you struggle to stay focused on the task at hand? Do you get bored easily?
You may have a restless saboteur. Saboteurs are negative inner voices that hold you back from greater success and happiness.
According to the science of Positive Intelligence, there are ten saboteurs that you have within you to varying degrees: the judge, the stickler, the pleaser, the victim, the restless, the avoider, the controller, the hyper-achiever, the hyper-vigilant and the hyper-rational.
The restless saboteur is constantly in search of greater excitement in the next activity. Impatient with what’s happening right now, this saboteur prevents you from being present in your life.
I keep hearing about boredom and lack of focus in my coaching conversations this week. One of my clients is distracted at work meetings and misses vital information because she keeps thinking about what she has to do with her kids when she gets home. Another client couldn’t enjoy his morning at the lake because his mind was so focused on his golf game that afternoon.
How strong is the restless saboteur in you?
Your saboteurs overuse and abuse your greatest strengths. The restless is energized, open, curious, spontaneous, creative, and can be highly productive.
But, taken too far, people with the restless saboteur can’t focus, or get anything done.
Are you a multitasker? Multitasking hurts your productivity, quality of work, learning, creativity, communication, and stress level. Your brain can’t do more than one thing at a time. You are simply switching from task to task.
Staying busy juggling different tasks and plans helps you avoid your fears, anxieties, or painful feelings. But suppressing negative emotions is bad for your health. Emotions need to be felt to be processed and released.
By using busyness to escape from anxiety and pain, you aren’t staying present in your life, which hurts your productivity and your relationships.
How can you be less restless?
- Simply notice when you feel restless during your day.
- What negative feelings are you avoiding?
- Stop what you are doing and acknowledge those feelings.
- Focus on physical sensations in the present moment to get out of your thoughts and into your body. For example, take some deep breaths, paying attention to your chest rising and falling. Listen to the sounds of the birds chirping out the window. Feel the lather on your skin while washing your hands.
- Prioritize your list of tasks each morning.
- Break large tasks into smaller steps to make them feel less daunting.
- Allocate specific time blocks for each task.
- Identify and remove or minimize distractions in your workspace.
- Focus on one task at a time.
- Find an accountability buddy or coach to help you stay on track.
With more focus, you will get more done with more joy.
How can you completely change the way you talk to yourself in just six weeks? Book a free Confidence Booster session with me here: https://calendly.com/annagradiecoaching/45min to find out.
Lots of love,
-Anna
