The domino effect of distraction

Last night, I sat down with one simple goal: to work on Elijah’s Mission 7 worksheet (a themed activity from his weekly learning plan).

But because I wanted to make it more connected, I decided to add in some Bahasa Malaysia words from a few worksheets I’d printed a while ago. Then I realised he didn’t have a good visual aid to learn colours in BM, so I thought I’d design a simple poster to go with it.

It was around 8pm, the time I should have been getting him ready for bed. But I told myself it wouldn’t take long. Just a quick design.

Except, while looking for inspiration on Pinterest, I came across so many cute educational prints. And then my brain went, “Hey, what if I make some little inspirational cards too?” Perfect for mornings when I don’t have the energy to write sticky notes for his snack box.

Since I was already sending the colour poster to print, I figured I might as well design a few more helpful ones. Maybe even some motivational ones for myself.

You can imagine how that went.

One thing led to another and suddenly it was 1am. The laptop battery finally gave up before I did. 

Then came Tuesday morning. The first workday after a long weekend. The house was loud, my brain foggy, and the rhythm completely off. There were a ton of things on the to-do list, half-finished tasks, an unexpected interruption (okay, I forgot it was already planned) and all the interruptions that come with trying to switch from long weekend-mode to regular week-mode.

And yet, somehow, I still found myself back on Canva, tinkering with the design I should’ve left for another day.

Madness, really. How does this even happen?
Should I get tested for ADHD? (Half joking. Half not.)

But maybe this is just what happens when creative energy collides with parenting, work, and the endless list of things we care about. It’s the domino effect of distraction. One good idea tipping into another until you’re buried under “meaningful” projects that keep you from doing the one thing you actually meant to do.

So I’m learning that I can’t fix the chaos by doing more. Sometimes the only way forward is to pause, breathe, and find rhythm again.

Thinking out loud here about how I could do that (and maybe you can too):

• Catch the first domino. Notice when one task starts spilling into five others. Write the new ideas down and come back later.
• Set small finish lines. One worksheet. One design. One bedtime story. Completion builds calm.
• Create before the chaos. Creative energy is beautiful, but maybe better spent earlier in the day than at midnight.
• Leave room for presence. The designs can wait. The bedtime story can’t.
• Give myself grace. Some nights will spiral. But rhythm always waits for us in the morning.

So here’s to all the parents, makers, and midnight Canva warriors trying to do it all. May we learn to pause before the next domino falls, and find the rhythm that carries us back to what matters most.