Getting distracted by my own life (in a good way)
Published 10/14/26
Today I spent 30 minutes where I was definitely supposed to be productive instead scrolling through an old shared album on my phone called, “New York Minute” and I don’t feel guilty about it. This trip was one I took last year with my friends to New York City for Halloween, and it’s amazing to look at the pictures now and reflect on how much has changed this year and evolved with each of us. But it also let me time travel for those precious 30 minutes to a wealth of memories and experiences that I’m so glad were captured on my phone.
You see, I’ve felt recently trapped in this love-hate (emphasis on hate) relationship with my phone where I find myself incredibly distracted, procrastinating the important things, and somehow fifteen videos deep on a 30-part TikTok series. And the unbelievable thing is, I can’t seem to stop. It’s hard for me to even sit in silence and let my brain unwind because I’m so addicted to the dopamine hits that come from the constant notifications and flashing videos that come across my desk.
And of course, getting my brain back to a place where I can not feel distracted or constantly hungry for more stimulation is something I want to focus on, so that’s why I’m not feeling guilty about those 30 minutes spent flipping through old photo album instead of getting to my to-do list. Because that feeling of slowing down, reliving some of my favorite memories, and letting my brain know that those are the important things feels really good. And it’s a feeling I want to recreate over and over again.
Something that Vanessa said on the MomForce Podcast the other day has been sticking with me as well. She was quoting something she had heard about paying attention to the details around you: “Attention is the pathway to devotion.” This struck me because it made me wonder what it was I was giving my most attention to, and what that meant about my devotion as a result.
I want to be the kind of person who always appreciates the good things in my life. I want to pay attention to when life goes really well, and not just the big things, but the little things. I want to focus my devotion on my best memories, best days, best moments, and retrain my brain to always stop and reminisce on these good times. And if attention is the pathway to devotion, then I’m here to hold myself accountable to the things I want to pay attention to and build devotion for (and, as always, take more pictures of).
So in no particular order, here is my “pay attention to” list:
- The effort my friends go to to spend time together
- How delicious a loaf of fresh sourdough bread smells
- The way my child’s nose crinkles when they laugh
- That first sip of a really crispy soda that’s been marinating in the fridge
- The wrinkles on my grandpa’s hand as he holds mine
- Family stories that get told over and over again at the dinner table, and yet still always get a big laugh
- The leaves in the late fall that turn golden-yellow
- The moon when it comes out in the daytime
- Little footsteps stomping around in the upstairs playroom when all the cousins come over
- The photos people put up in their home to display their family story
- Creative people who share their art
- The feeling of reading an inspiring book
- The favorites album on my phone and revisiting those pictures again and again
And as always, my Chatbooks are a perfect way to put this list into practice. The ritual of scrolling through your own photos and reminiscing about your own life is a great way to put the “pay attention list” to good use.
