I get distracted easily. I want to. For me, working on something means immersing myself in it. Taking an idea or principle apart, trying to destroy it, understand it. And I can't do this for an extended period of time. I need my breaks. My Distractions. The problem I encounter at this point is how to limit my distractions so I don't end up ruining my productivity.
This is one of the reasons I don't follow or unfollowed a lot of people on Twitter. A lot of these people are incredibly smart, funny, interesting people who share loads of cool links. And that's the problem. I use Twitter as a quick temporary distraction. And I can't get any work done if I follow these people. I end up reading everything they post, and it kills my productivity.
When you're working a full time job that doesn't require a lot of thinking or intellectual output, Twitter with its interesting personalities & constant stream of thoughts poses a welcome diversion, especially if a lot of these people are friends of yours and you keep bumping into them. When your life is more or less set, and follows a fixed route, with an easygoing job and loads of free time, you enjoy being part of an expanding virtual circle of peers.
The fact that the circle consists of its own roles and norms, and can be petty, childish & irritating is all part of the fun, as you really don't have anything better to do. You get caught up in the discussions, the fights, the feuds, the peer pressure, the groupism, the collective group behaviour, the flash online mobs, the social pressure to say something about something everyone else is saying something about just to remain relevant within the circle. To justify your existence to these people. Your lack of a more interesting life with any higher goals limits you to framing your identity within this circle. Being a valued member of the circle becomes a personal need.
However, a sudden change in direction and the formation of a new set of goals suddenly renders a lot of this irrelevant. You don't need the group anymore. You have new needs. New things that concern you. New ideas by which you identify and motivate yourself. Ones that require your time. Time that you previously spent on your group. A conflict arises. A decision needs to be made.
