Look, a butterfly!

Let’s see where it goes.

Oh, there’s another one. Let’s follow it too.

Before you know it, you are venturing off the beaten path and entering a wild forest.

It might be beautiful, but it leads you away from your destination.

Distractions lurk around every corner – whether you’re hiking or running a business, a lack of discipline can prevent you from reaching your goal.

Luckily, there are some simple methods you can use to avoid following the wrong butterfly.

1. Stop the comparison game

It’s easy to get carried away and start a new adventure, project, or business just because someone else did it gracefully.

Comparisons are toxic. Just because your friend on Instagram made six figures by selling her online workshops, doesn’t mean you need to jump on the bandwagon and create your amazing coaching offer too. What works for her, doesn’t have to work for you.

Watching others succeed might be inspiring. And let’s stop there. Instead of replicating someone else’s path, use their stories as a motivation to find your own. That’s where the real joy begins. That’s how you can stay focused on your long-term goal and avoid jumping mindlessly from one idea to another.

2. Ask the why question

Great ideas come and go. But how to recognize The Idea that will help you run a successful business, transition from full-time employment to solopreneurship, or lead a more balanced life? The answer is simple: ask.

By asking smart questions you can identify areas worth focusing on. When a new idea pops up in your mind, don’t act on it just yet. Ask yourself these key questions: Do I really need to go to every single networking event in my area, write a book, create an online course, speak at a conference, or produce a podcast to make my business more profitable? Will acting on this idea make me happier? Will it serve me and my business?

Do I have all the resources, or will I have to collaborate with someone to turn this idea into reality? How much do I need to invest?

By asking the right questions, you can limit distractions and avoid spreading yourself too thin.

3. Weigh in the pros and cons

When the temptation to veer off your planned route becomes too strong, take a moment to consider the pros and cons. That’s how you can reduce the risk of getting lost. When you take a step back to evaluate the potential outcomes of your next move, you can avoid emotional decisions.

In this way, you empower yourself to make informed, rational choices that align with your long-term goals.

4. Discuss your ideas with people you trust

Another method to eliminate unnecessary distractions is to turn to someone you trust. It shouldn’t be just a random person you’ve just met in the gym or your friendly neighbor next door.

Discuss your business ideas with someone who might be a bit more experienced than you, someone who will give you enough input, rather than throwing a blunt “Just do it” at you. That’s where business mentors and consultants can play a crucial role. A trusted, wise colleague who is eager to listen can be your perfect discussion partner too.

5. Ensure enough quiet time

Most answers come unexpectedly. In silence. How to keep them coming?

Limit your exposure to noise, chaos, mindless entertainment, toxic people, or negative thought patterns. You need to know yourself first to discover what’s the right choice for you. Maybe that upcoming project is not up your alley, maybe that gig you agreed to do only for money makes you feel drained and frustrated, or maybe you’re overwhelmed with the marketing plan you have to execute to promote your products.

Delegate or eliminate what doesn’t serve you. But to identify what falls into this category, you need to embrace the silence first.

These are the strategies that helped me come back to my path after giving up to countless distractions. By ignoring what serves me and my business in the long run, I took too many turns that eventually led me to where I started—online courses.

After a three-year break from creating new content, I revisited my goals, pros, and cons, ensured enough quiet time, discussed my ideas with others, and here I am again: working on the new course that will be launched in December. Plus, staying away from distractions helped me create something I’ve always planned but never dared to do: a new membership offer for my localization content. It has just been launched and I can’t wait to enrich it with more courses soon!

No distraction lasts forever.

Sometimes it’s wiser to watch that beautiful butterfly flutter away in the distance.

P.S. Do you want to explore other strategies for running a successful freelance business?

Grab a copy of my book, “Successful Freelancer’s Mindset“, to discover a smooth road to your rewarding freelancer’s life.

Dorota Pawlak

Dorota helps digital brands infuse their content with a local touch. She is a localization consultant, translator specialized in IT, prompt engineer, and a book author. Dorota teaches online courses on localization, writes for her blog and a Medium publication. She also runs a Small Biz AI, a Substack newsletter for freelancers and small business owners ready to discover handy AI tools.