80 Distraction Quotes to Help You Manage Your Life Better

These distraction quotes are funny and something most of us can relate to.

There are also some eye-opening and powerful quotes about why it is important to stay focused.

Some of us have much shorter attention spans than our friends and family members.

My family affectionately refers to me as a “squirrel.”

I can be doing something and then very easily my attention gets diverted.

Like right now, I am writing this article, but I really want to clean off my kitchen island, and then the phone dings, and before you know it I am reorganizing all the cupboards while playing on my phone…

Clearly, getting distracted causes us to not reach our goals in a timely manner.

But just what causes us to get distracted in the first place?

The causes vary, and some of them are internal, like our individual attention spans or our desire to do what we are doing.

Other times, the distractions are external, and a little frivolous like the notifications from games on our phones.

Other external distractions are things that also need to get done, like cleaning, appointments, and activities we have scheduled.

This is why some people argue that life itself is a distraction from our purpose, and you will find a few of these people expressing that thought in these distraction quotes.

Keep reading to find out when a distraction might be just what you need though, and how they can sometimes be beneficial.

Don’t forget to also check out these focus quotes that inspire epic concentration.

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration. 

Explore our complete collection of motivational quotes here.

Short distraction quotes that are either funny or powerful

1. “You can’t do big things if you’re distracted by small things.” ― Anonymous

You will also enjoy our article on Stop Getting Distracted and Get Things Done.

2. “Thinking is good for your mind, but too much thinking leads to distraction.” ― E. Habib

3. “Don’t let mediocrity distract you from greatness.” ― Asad Meah

4. “TV is a distraction from being awesome.” ― James Blacker

5. “Multi-tasking arises out of distraction itself.” ― Marilyn Vos Savant

6. “Acclaim is a distraction.” ― James Broughton

7. “I needed something—the distraction of another life—to alleviate fear.” ― Bret Easton Ellis, Lunar Park

8. “Sand was dribbling out of the bag of her attention, faster and faster.” ― Sarah Blake

9. “We are not that busy; we are just distracted.” ― Shawn Wells, The Energy Formula

10. “Are you healed or just distracted? Don’t confuse the two.” ― Steve Maraboli

Distraction quotes about love, peace, and destiny

11. “The most dangerous distractions are the ones you love, but that don’t love you back.” ― Warren Buffett

12. “Deep in the soul, below pain, below all the distraction of life, is a silence vast and grand – an infinite ocean of calm, which nothing can disturb. Nature’s own exceeding peace, which passes understanding. That which we seek with passionate longing, here and there, upward and outward; we find at last within ourselves.” ― Richard Maurice Bucke

13. “Say ‘no’ to distraction so you can say ‘yes’ to your destiny.” ― Thema Davis

14. “Love is your one and only goal everything else is a distraction.” ― J.R. Incer, Boost Your Brainpower 365

15. “We are always falling in love or quarreling, looking for jobs or fearing to lose them, getting ill and recovering, following public affairs. If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

16. “You are my distraction now, whether you want it or not. So take responsibility for it.” ― Melanie Sargsian, Lovember: A Collection of Short Love Stories

17. “Be careful because sometimes distractions can come into your life dressed as love and attention when it’s in fact a distraction.” ― Scarlet Jei Saoirse

18. “In any academic field, it’s either fall in love with books and avoid engaging in emotional affairs with people, or vice versa, but you can’t possibly focus on both at the same time because love is so powerful that it can cause distraction.” ― Godwin Elijah

19. “Truly paying attention to something or someone makes it or them seem as big as the universe.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

20. “You are my addiction. You are my muse. My worst distraction. My poetry & hues” ― Avijeet Das

Distraction quotes on the downside of being distracted and why you should avoid it

21. “You can’t do big things if you’re distracted by small things.” ― Anonymous

22. “The age in which we live, this non-stop distraction, is making it more impossible for the young generation to ever have the curiosity or discipline because you need to be alone to find out anything.” ― Vivienne Westwood

23. “Distraction wastes our energy, concentration restores it.” ― Sharon Salzberg

24. “Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short.” ― Adam Hochschild

25. “The result of information overload is usually a distraction, and it dilutes your focus and takes you off your game.” ― Zig Ziglar

26. “People allow themselves to get distracted; I think ultimately, probably the biggest thing that gets in the way of people doing at any point in time is distraction.” ― David Allen

27. “When I meet with the founders of a new company, my advice is always, ‘Do fewer things,’ it’s true of partnerships, marketing opportunities, anything that’s taking up your time. The vast majority of things are distractions, and very few really matter to your success.” ― Evan Williams

28. “Distractions destroy action. If it’s not moving you towards your purpose, leave it alone.” ― Jermaine Riley

29. “Disconnect from everything long enough to see if it feeds your soul or if it’s a distraction. What’s deeply connected will always remain.” ― Maryam Hasnaa

30. “When there are thoughts, it is distraction: when there are no thoughts, it is meditation.” ― Ramana Maharshi

Distraction quotes about how it can be good sometimes

31. “A little distraction we need, to destroy what we believe.” ― Priyanshu

32. “Follow the wandering, the distraction, find out why the mind has wandered; pursue it, go into it fully. When the distraction is completely understood, then that particular distraction is gone. When another comes, pursue it also.” ― Jiddu Krishnamurti

33. “I need distractions. Good distractions, not bad ones. A good distraction for me is a great play.” ― Danny Aiello

34. “I don’t think you go to a play to forget, or to a movie to be distracted. I think life generally is a distraction and that going to a movie is a way to get back, not go away.” ― Tom Noonan

35. “All profound distraction opens certain doors. You have to allow yourself to be distracted when you are unable to concentrate.” ― Julio Cortázar, Around the Day in Eighty Worlds

36. “Take an occasional holiday from what you love or you’ll end up hating what you love.” ― Marty Rubin

37. “In nature, every distraction is an inspiration.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson, Song of a Nature Lover

38. “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” ― Elbert Hubbard

39. “Immersing oneself in the problems of a book is a good way to keep from thinking of love.” ― Orhan Pamuk

40. “One man’s distraction is another man’s refuge.” ― Khang Kijarro Nguyen

Distraction quotes about the past, letting go, and addiction

41. “An addiction to distraction is the end of your creative production.” ― Robin Sharma

42. “The past is a distraction, a source of envy, enmity, bitterness. Only the present matters, for only in the present can we shape the future. Cut loose the past; it is dead weight. Let the Extirpation continue. Let it never end.” ― Stephen Baxter

43. “When a person can’t find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.” ― Viktor Frankl

44. “We fight too many battles that don’t matter. If the battle is not between you and your destiny, then it is a distraction. You have to learn to let things go.” ― Joel Osteen

45. “Less distraction, more focus. Less gossip, more encouragement. Less past, more future. Less toxicity, more positivity.” ― Robin Sharma

46. “Clever gimmicks of mass distraction yield a cheap soulcraft of addicted and self-medicated narcissists.” ― Cornel West

47. “As we hone the ability to let go of distraction, to begin again without rancor or judgment, we are deepening forgiveness and compassion for ourselves. And in life, we find we might make a mistake, and more easily begin again, or stray from our chosen course and begin again.” ― Sharon Salzberg

48. “When people can’t bury themselves with work, they can’t run away from their feelings and all it needs is a little free time to reveal who they are.” ― Sarvesh Jain

49. “Don’t allow distractions and temptations misguide you & satisfy you for a brief moment. Be strong & stay focused.” ― Genereux Philip

50. “Goals for the future distract from worry and anger about the past and redirect your focus to the direction you’re traveling in.” ― Sam Owen

Distraction Quotes To Help You Remain focused On Your Goal

51. “The greatest threat to the state is not faction but distraction” — Aristotle

52. “Anything you believe you have to do or become before you can be free is a denial and distraction from the truth that you are already free.” — Alan Cohen

53. “When we clutter our lives with imagined obligations, unnecessary activities, and distractions that only kill time, we dilute the power of our lives.” — Anne Katherine

54. “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for miseries and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.” — Blaise Pascal

55. “One of the points about distractions is that everything that they do is destabilizing.” —Bruce Sterling

56. “The mass production of distraction is now as much a part of the American way of life as the mass production of automobiles.” — C. Wright Mills

57.” I attribute much of my success in New York to my ability to understand and avoid unnecessary distractions”. — Derek Jeter

58. “Creation is in part merely the business of forgoing the great and small distractions.” — E. B. White

59. “Art has something to do with the arrest of attention in the midst of distraction.”

— George Plimpton

60. “When distractions are manifold, it’s best to remember what you are supposed to be doing.” — David Levithan

Distraction Quotes and Sayings To Apply In Life

61. “I’m here to build something for the long-term. Anything else is a distraction.” — Mark Zuckerberg

62. “At painful times, when composition is impossible and reading is not enough, grammars and dictionaries are excellent for distraction.” — Elizabeth Barrett Browning

63. My theory is that the world is a difficult place to live in and distraction is the name of the game.” — Toni Morrison

64. Use reading-aloud time as bonding time, as time when no phones are being checked, when the distractions of the world are put aside.” — Neil Gaiman

65. “Messes create distraction. And distraction reduces your power to achieve every goal you set.” — Robin Sharma

66. “White ball cricket can be taxing on bowlers and can be a distraction for a youngster.” — Gautam Gambhir

67. “With Death itself in the streets, I didst turneth hence from the Brotherhood of Man and seeketh deliverance in distraction.” — Stewart Stafford

68. “Sincere thought means thought of concentration (quiet awareness). The thought of a distracted mind cannot be sincere.” — Bruce Lee

69. “Advertising is 48% distraction; 4% information; and 48% manipulation.” — Mokokoma Mokhonoana

70. “Listen to your inner voice and never let the distraction of the crowd discolor your poise.” — Israelmore Ayivor

Distraction Quotes To Help You Maintain Focus

71. “I’ve trained all my life not to be distracted by distractions.” — Nik Wallenda

72. “In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.” — Pico Iyer

73. “I think the older I get the more creative I get, I don’t have the distractions that I had when I was younger.” — Marc Almond

74. By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.” — Christopher Columbus

75. “Girls were always my biggest distraction in school.” — Channing Tatum

76. “Hapiness can only be found if you can free yourself of all other distractions.” — Saul Bellow

77. “Distractions must be conquered or they will conquer us. So let us cultivate simplicity; let us walk in the Spirit.” — Aiden Wilson Tozer

78. “Every day set the simple goal of trying to be more awake and less distracted.” — Russell Simmons

79. “Teaching is a good distraction, and I am in contact with young people, which is very gratifying.” — Manuel Puig

80. “I think when things linger, that’s when they become a distraction. I don’t want any distractions.” — Derek Jeter

What did you learn from these no distraction quotes

The case has been made that it requires focus and dedication to reach your goals and dreams.

Distractions are certainly little roadblocks along the way, but is there a time when they are just the thing you need to move you forward?

Have you ever tried to remember the lyrics of a song, or something you were just about to say, and they slip away from you?

The first thing we do is think about something else, and then WHAM a few minutes later it comes to you!

I was working on a book about my traumatic childhood, and struggling with where to start.

I got some advice from a writer’s group I was a part of, and she said to “start write some other story about anything.”

The idea here was that it would distract me from the problem I was focused on, and allow my brain to come up with the answer.

So, if you feel like you have been trying to solve something for a while and are hitting a roadblock, a brief distraction might be just the ticket!

It is also possible to use work and your goals to distract you from life.

People do this when there is some emotion or situation they do not want to face or heal from.

Bury ourselves in tasks and goals might seem like a positive solution, but the truth is this behavior is also harmful to our mental health because we can suffer from perfectionism and burnout.

If there is something weighing on your mind, causing you to remain constantly distracted with work, a therapist might be just what you need.

They have the skills and tools to help you work through whatever is bothering you and help you find balance.

Share some of your favorite distractions, and how you stay focused, in the comment section below.