Don't Make Eye Contact!

A running joke my wife and I had about our daughter Alex when she was about 4 was, "Don't make eye contact with her unless you have awhile." When traveling with us, Alex could walk into an elevator and if someone looked at her, she would almost immediately begin talking with them about anything. Yes, it was cute, and people loved engaging with her. It was just interesting to watch how she seemed to always be looking for a way to connect with someone.

You and I have some of those same tendencies as adults. We are always looking for a way to engage with someone either face to face or through technology. When the potential distraction was a ringing phone it was somewhat manageable. Now with social media, apps, and our always-on culture, the opportunities are endless.

The advice we jokingly gave people about Alex works for handling these potential interruptions to our focus as well... don't make eye contact. Either turn off the notifications so you don't see them, or stop constantly looking at your smartphone or device as frequently. Technology is meant to help us better manage our day-not manage us.