The Distraction Dilemma

There’s this funny thing that happens when you finally carve out time to work on your creative projects. You’ve had this song idea—or whatever artistic vision—rolling around in your head for weeks, maybe even months. The melody’s there, the arrangements are taking shape, and you’re just waiting for the right moment to put it all down. Then the moment comes, and… nothing.

Suddenly, everything else becomes the priority. Make another coffee? Absolutely need to get that done. That email from three days ago? It’s time to reply. And before you know it, the moment has slipped by, and your creative work is still sitting in your brain, not in the real world. Sound familiar?

Why Do We Avoid What We Love?

Here’s where things get weird for me: I’m fully aware that this happens. I know I’m procrastinating, but I do it anyway. Even when I finally make time to work on the music that’s been marinating in my head for weeks, I’ll find literally anything else to do but actually play.

It’s not that I don’t love the music. It’s there, in full technicolor, just waiting for me to bring it to life. But when the time comes to act, I kinda freeze. And this isn’t just once or twice—it’s a cycle I’ve found myself in for years.

So, I started to ask myself: why do I keep avoiding the thing I love? Is it a fear of messing it up? Or worse, is this a sign of some bigger issue, like ADHD?

Wait… Do I Have ADHD?

Here’s where it gets even weirder. I was sitting in my daughter’s pediatrician’s office one day, casually folding a paper plane out of a document (as one does, right?). The doctor looks over and says to my wife, “I didn’t realize your husband also has ADHD.”

Wait… what? I have ADHD?

That comment sent me spiraling for a moment. Was this why I get so easily distracted? Why I avoid starting my creative projects even though they’re sitting fully formed in my mind? Maybe this explains why I always seem to find other things to do when I should be working on my music.

But then I thought, whether I have ADHD or not, it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve been living with this creative avoidance for as long as I can remember. So, diagnosis or no diagnosis, I’m still left with the same question:

how do I stop getting in my own way?

Living in a Constant Tug-of-War

Creative work demands focus, but life demands everything else. There’s this constant battle going on between the need to pay attention to daily responsibilities and the urge to dive into your art. And let’s be honest, sometimes the distractions win.

The problem is, those distractions aren’t going anywhere. Life will always have something demanding your attention, whether it’s work, family, or just the general busyness of the day-to-day. But that doesn’t make the creative itch go away.

In fact, I’ve had full song arrangements just sitting in my head, waiting for their moment. And they don’t disappear, no matter how many distractions I throw in their way. The music still gets written… in my mind. But it’s the getting it out part that trips me up every time.

What If the Hardest Part Is Just Showing Up?

Here’s the thing: it’s not about some magical moment where everything clicks and you’re finally “ready” to create. I’ve always known the hardest part of being an artist isn’t the actual act of creating. It’s showing up. It’s sitting down with your guitar, or your notebook, or whatever your tool of choice is, and just starting.

That’s the trick, right? Just making the sound. Even if it’s messy, even if it’s not what you imagined at first—just making noise. Because once you break the seal, the rest comes easier. It’s the act of sitting down and doing it that feels like the real hurdle.

So, What’s the Answer?

To be honest, I don’t have all the answers yet. I’m still figuring this out myself. Maybe I have ADHD, or maybe I’m just living in a world that throws distractions at me 24/7. Either way, I’m learning that I don’t need to wait for the perfect moment to create. I just need to start.

If you’ve got ideas sitting in your head, waiting for the right time, don’t let life’s busyness keep you from getting them out. The music, the art, the creativity—it’s all in there. And it’s not going anywhere. But it’s up to us to make the space for it, however messy and imperfect that process may be.

So here’s to showing up, making noise, and seeing what happens. Even if it’s not perfect, it’s still progress. My own experience has taught me that fulfilment and deep satisfaction are realised through the process of doing, and not necessarily from the finished work.

I guess that’s all that matters in the end.

Lyndon

Musician, producer