READ TIME: 12m
DR JOHN DEMARTINI - Updated 1 year ago
Like many people, you may experience times of distraction and overwhelm, not to mention a general feeling that the outer world is “running” you.
As someone once explained to me, it can sometimes feel as if there are too many tabs open in your brain and you keep losing track of what page you’re on and what to prioritize.
This can be incredibly frustrating and distracting, not to mention overwhelming, especially when you assume that you need to do it all and that it all needs to be done now.
This is something that I grappled with early on in my career just over 40 years ago when I was in private practice. Quite frequently I lived in a distraction where it felt as if there was too much going on, too much to do that needed my attention, too many things to organize and prioritize, and too few people to delegate to.
Did it stay that way? No.
I learned powerful tools that were tangibly valuable in transforming my distracted mind into one that was more present, poised, centered, strategic and focused – tools that I later began teaching in my 2-day program, the Breakthrough Experience, and sharing in talks and seminars around the world.
These strategies can be implemented immediately and have the potential to transform your life from scattered and preoccupied to focused, and from trying to do everything to only focusing on the highest-priority tasks.
Let’s get started.
Introducing: The Distraction Resolution Process
There are SIX key action points that can help you resolve and dissolve distraction. All you need is a digital device or notebook and pen, and some time blocked out so you can focus on the process for around a half an hour one hour.
#1 DISTRACTION
The first step is to get everything out of your head that is occupying your mind and distracting and overwhelming you and write it down or type it onto the first column on the left-hand side of your notebook or screen – the first of five columns.
This step can result in some relief as you take away some of the pressure of trying to remember it all and instead get it all down in point form in front of you. A short pencil, pen, or typing program is greater than a long memory.
It is wise to keep going on this list until you run out of tasks, or actions to write down that are occupying your mind.
#2 DUMP
In the second column you’re then going to systematically work through your list and ask yourself, is this truly important or is this something I can dump, forget about and not even put any energy towards it?
In my case, I found that I crossed out one or two items for every 35 I listed because I realized there was very little value in completing them or there was truly nothing I or anyone else could do. So, I dumped those thoughts rumbling around in my head by putting them down on paper. I was able to formally let go of some of them because I recognized how low of a priority they were or how futile they were for me.
#3 DELEGATE
This is quite a fascinating step that involves writing in the third column headed: Who can I delegate this to?
In other words, you methodically work through your list and write down the name of the individual(s) you can delegate some of the tasks to.
In some cases, you may not yet have an individual to delegate those tasks to, but you may see value in hiring someone so you can delegate those tasks and focus on higher-priority items instead.
In my case, I realized that some of the items on the list were actually bigger projects, so I went a step further and broke them down into smaller daily action steps that I could do them on a particular day or delegate them to an individual/myself/a number of people within my business.
This step involves doing the same for each individual you intend to delegate tasks to, so you have oversight of what deliverables are due each day for the next 30 days and by whom.
The final part of this third step is to create a daily delegation form – what needs to be done by others, and by what time and date. And transpose the tasks to be delegated to an individual daily delegation form for each individual you intend to delegate the various tasks to.
#4 DO
This next step is to write or type out in column four whatever is truly highest in priority and intended to be done to completion by you.
In this fourth step it is essential that you create a daily to do form – for placing those tasks that need to be done only by you, and by what time and date.
It’s at this point that I often encourage people to set reasonable and realistic timelines that are not overwhelming, and ones that are more conducive to creating eustress instead of distress. The focus is on setting achievable timeframes that help you build momentum and confidence.
You’re then going to plan those dates in a way that makes the most sense for you – perhaps plan 30 days ahead so you are clear on what you aim to achieve each day, and so you can work in advance if your capacity allows.
Like me, you will likely find that your mind significantly calms and becomes more focused at the end of this step.
Not only have you extracted everything from your mind that was distracting you and creating feelings of overwhelm, but you also likely have more clarity, certainty and focus for the month in advance.
#5 DATE
Now that you’ve organized what you are to “dump”, “delegate” and “do”, you can begin assigning a reasonable date to each of them. For example, grouping all tasks that need to be done by Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and so on, together with the individual (you or other) who will be completing that task.
For me, completing this step takes a huge burden off my mind particularly when I am carrying the weight of so many tasks when I could hand some of them over to specialists who were either more equipped or more intrinsically inspired to complete them than I was.
In other words, I realized that I would be wise to delegate tasks that weren’t a high priority for me so I could free up time and energy for those tasks that were.
#6 DEMARTINI METHOD
When I first began designing the Demartini Distraction Resolution process, the six D’s as I like to call it, I realized that once I had looked at each item that needed to be done or delegated, and assigned dates to each of them, I discovered that there were sometimes other emotions that remained that were distracting that were due to judgments of myself or others.
For example, let’s say that an action task on my “delegate” list included having someone follow up on an unpaid bill from a client who had already received my services in full yet who procrastinated when it came to paying me. My feelings of resentment didn’t go away, and continued to take up space and time in my mind.
It was then that I realized that the journey to overcoming distraction and becoming more focused included a sixth step that went beyond PRACTICAL tasks to dump, delegate, do, and date, one that involved addressing dissolving any related EMOTIONAL charges.
It is this sixth step that proved to be a complete game changer both in my life and in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who attended the Breakthrough Experience program over the past four decades in countries around the world. It’s also a step that 99% of self-help programs overlook.
In a nutshell, once I had realized the enormous value of addressing lopsided perceptions and emotions, I spent many years developing and honing a scientific set of questions to help people address and dissolve emotional distractions.
The result is something called the Demartini Method, a systematic pre-determined series of mental questions to help you neutralize and transform polarized emotional feelings into integrated feelings of presence, certainty, gratitude and love.
Anything that you have an imbalanced perception on: infatuation, where you perceive more positives than negatives; or resentment, where you perceive more negatives than positives, will likely distract you and run your mind.
So when making a list of distractions, it is wise to not only look at items to dump, delegate, do and date, but also emotional charges that are distracting you. If you don't balance out those lopsided perceptions, they're going to keep vying for attention and occupying your mind.
This is where the Demartini Method comes in – quality questions to help you balance your perceptions by finding upsides to the downsides and downsides to the upsides, so you can dissolve emotional baggage that may be weighing you down, running your mind, creating “brain noise”, and distracting you.
This also has an impact on your wellness because any unresolved emotions influences your body and when left unresolved over months and years, lead to illness. These symptoms act as valuable feedback guides to bring you back to balance and wellness. It is wise to listen to the feedback they provide.
Unresolved emotions can initiate anxiety responses because anything that reminds you of past experiences can trigger those emotions.
There are three things you have control over – your PERCEPTIONS, DECISIONS and ACTIONS.
William James, the co-founder of modern psychology, once said that the greatest discovery of his generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their perceptions and attitudes of mind.
In other words, no matter what you experience in your life, you can change your perception of it.
One of the wisest ways to do this is by asking quality questions such as those in the Demartini Method.
Here’s an example of three of the questions adapted from the Demartini Method:
Let’s go back to the example I used earlier where someone who hadn’t paid his or her bill. I would then ask:
1. “ What specific trait, action, or inaction do I perceive this individual displaying or demonstrating that I dislike or despise most?”
In this case, I would write down, “Hasn’t paid me for my services.”
2. “ Let me go to a moment where and when I perceive myself displaying or demonstrating the same or similar specific trait, action or inaction, and go on to identify, where it was, when it was, who it was to and who perceived it?”
If you go to a moment where you also did not pay or were late in making payment (the same action you perceive in them), you effectively level the playing field and say, “Who am I to judge him or her for being late in paying me, when I have done the same to others?” Make sure you look for multiple times of where and when you have displayed or demonstrated this behavior until it is to the same degree.
3. “Let me go to a moment where and when I perceive this individual displaying or demonstrating the specific trait, action or inaction that I dislike or despise most. How did the trait I despise serve me?”
This can be challenging for some but if you do the work and stick with it, I am certain you will uncover how this behavior served you.
In this case it may be that you initiated a new process whereby clients are required to pay before leaving your premises, which significantly reduced your debtor’s list.
The above 6 D’s can be powerful tools to harness on your journey to mastering your mind and mastering your life. The first 5 D’s are something you can do immediately to get a large portion of noise in your brain down on paper, organized in terms of who you will delegate it to (including yourself) and by when you would like to have it done.
The 6th D – the Demartini Method – is something I would love to teach you during my Breakthrough Experience program.
This is a wonderful opportunity to invest two full days in identifying your highest values and priorities, mission and purpose in life; and dissolve unwanted emotional baggage that is weighing you down and distracting you from living an extraordinary and inspired life.
I would love to help you achieve clarity of vision and thought, balance and objectivity, leadership and creativity; as well as deep certainty and momentum towards your goals.
To sum up:
- Like many people, you may experience times of distraction and overwhelm, not to mention a general feeling that the world is dominating or “running” you.
- The 6-step process outlined above is a powerful focus strategy you can use for a distracted mind:
The Practical:
- Define the distractions
- Dump
- Delegate
- Do
- Date
The Emotional:
- Demartini Method
- One of my primary purposes for developing the Demartini Method was to take whatever you've experienced that you've judged and stored in the subconscious mind, which has weighed you down, and ask a series of very precise questions; scientifically demonstrated, to balance, calm and center your mind.
- In this way, you can awaken the executive function of the brain and calm the fight-or-flight reactive part of the brain.
- I would love you to join me for my next 2-day Breakthrough Experience program so I can help you organize and prioritize your values and masterfully self-govern your life.
- In that way, you can set realistic goals in real-time, real objectives instead of fantasies, so you’re not limping your life and but instead taking prioritized action to create your inspired goals and dreams.
- I’d love to help you identify what your highest values are and help you start structuring your life accordingly.
Are you ready for the NEXT STEP?
If you’re seriously committed to your own growth, if you’re ready to make a change now and you’d love some help doing so, then book a FREE Discovery call with a member of the Demartini Team so we can take you through your mini power assessment session.
You’ll come away with a 3-step action plan and the foundation to empower your life.
Book Your TICKET for Dr Demartini's Breakthrough Experience
If you’re ready to go inwards and do the work that will clear your blockages, clarify your vision and balance your mind, then you’ve found the perfect place to start with Dr Demartini at the Breakthrough Experience.
In 2 days you’ll learn how to solve any issue you are facing, transform any emotion and reset the course of your life for greater achievement and fulfillment.
You’ll unlock your true potential and lay the groundwork to empower all 7 areas of your life.
Get ready to take your life to a whole new level of meaning and purpose.
Today is the day you step into your power and value yourself by investing in your inspired life when you sign up for Dr Demartini’s signature seminar the Breakthrough Experience:
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