Become a Pro at Ignoring Stuff

Posted September 2Sep 2

The crew in the treatment bay of the Life Flight helicopter saved my life. I sought them out on the one-year anniversary of my accident (11/20/2011).

I asked the pilot how he dealt with the trauma behind him. He talked about ignoring stuff.

Curt said, “I turn away when they load accident victims in the back. If I looked, the medical team would probably have another patient. I don’t want to know what’s going on back there. I can hear it when things are getting dicey, but I try to ignore it.”

Curt is a pro at ignoring stuff because he cares. He tunes out so he can do his job. What happens in the treatment bay is irrelevant.

Paying attention to everything will drive you nuts.

How to Become a Pro at Ignoring Stuff:

#1 Don’t worry about occasional failures in others. Let people learn on their own. Pay attention to patterns, not isolated incidents.

#2 Forget offenses. People won’t always understand. They may insult your sincerity.

#3 Ignore guilt feelings. Take responsibility, learn and move forward. Don’t waste energy beating yourself down. The worst failure is letting failure grip you.

#4 Ignore counsel from advisors that don’t ask questions.

#5 Plug your ears to those who never see good.

#6 Disregard feedback that comes from people who don’t understand your role or values.

#7 Turn from coddlers. Too much compassion weakens potential. Choose challengers who support progress.

#8 Limit approval seeking. Approval from the right people matters. Needing it drains you.

#9 Let go of overthinking. Lean into ‘learn as you go.’ Don’t perfect first.

#10 End distraction. Meaningful work requires focus. Turn off notifications and skip the urge to fix trivialities, for example.

Warning: Ignoring the wrong things can be dangerous.

What should leaders ignore?

How might leaders practice ignoring stuff?

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4 Strategies for Overcoming Distraction