What Are “Displacement Activities”?
Displacement activities are what we do when we really should be doing something else. Examples :
- A famous musician who I will refer to as Jonnie Malala – finds himself cleaning the windows of his recording studio (inside and out) when he should be laying down tracks and writing songs for his soon to be released album.
- A writer I advise (I shall call her Clarissa Gogogog) finds herself ironing and looking for more ironing instead of attending to her scene x scene.
- Another musician I advise (no need to identify him as he’s always in the news) finds himself is compelled to go out on benders when he should be having meetings with his accountants and financial planners.
Why we should try to overcome Displacement Activities?
We should try to overcome our tendencies towards Displacement Activities because we are happier when we do. So many of us take projects to the limit of deadlines and undergo considerable stress when doing so. Without Displacement Activities we get important work done and make room for more important work. The ability to avoid these time-wasting activities is often the key to a successful career.
How do we overcome our tendencies towards Displacement Activities?
The first step is to understand that we are doing it. We can then stop ourselves – it takes resolve and willpower but it is possible. See an image of yourself doing the Displacement Activity after you attend to your more important demands. Pay someone else to do the chores that beckon you away from your priority.
