# The Value of Distraction By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2022-12-22 Office work can be chaotic. It is not uncommon to plan, maybe even to want, to work on a specific task only to be redirected to something more urgent. When this occurs, there is a tendency to view this redirection negatively as a distraction from what one had otherwise intended to do. This is understandable. Deviation requires adjustment, and adjustment is a hassle. However, there is value in distraction. Through the act of postponement, one can think. As one is executing the new task, one’s thoughts will also be working on the original task. This thinking will be different due to the distraction. One is not focused on how to complete the original task. One is simply thinking about the task as it is. It is “out there.” Frequently useful insights will emerge by thinking about the topic while working on another one. It is somewhat paradoxical, but distracted thinking can be highly effective. There are several contributing factors to this. First, one isn’t thinking about how to complete the task, but rather the task itself. Second, there isn’t stress that comes from direct focus. Lateral thinking provides room for greater creativity. Lastly, occupied thinking is different from unoccupied thinking. Being forced to postpone the execution of a task to do something else, provides an opportunity to think while doing which allows one’s thoughts to drift and coalesce differently. In short, there is potential value in distraction. The key is to learn when and how distraction can be beneficial to thinking and learn how to cultivate this value in one’s work. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[Focus]] [[Thinking]] [[Distractions]]