Undistracted
Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy.
By: Bob Goff
“Are you willing to do what it takes to uncover the wonder that already surrounds your life? Will you do the courageous work to identify what is distracting you from the better things? And finally, are you willing to do the difficult and selfless work of releasing the beauty you discover into the lives of others rather than keeping it for yourself?”
This book was a bit of a love bomb. Ironically, a distracted love bomb.
I read Goff’s book Everybody, Always, and contrary to popular opinion of it, I wasn’t really impressed.
I decided to give Goff another chance by reading his newest book before I heard any hype about it. A clean first impression.
And I felt about the same as when I read his other book.
In short, it just felt like a shallow, self-helpy book with dramatic anecdotes Goff wrangled into inspirational one-liners that sound great but feel a bit fluffy. Everything was all over the place and I’m not really sure it’s actually going to help anyone.
I can’t really think of a reason to read this book.
If you are feeling like you need a better philosophy on how you spend your time or use your phone, I would recommend one of these books instead:
- To Hell with the Hustle
- A Spacious Life
- 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You (on my TBR)
If you’re feeling like you want to be a ‘better version of yourself’ or figure out what to do with your life then there are plenty of other books that would be better than this one. Here are just a few off the top of my head:
- When Strivings Cease
- On the Road with Saint Augustine
- Sis, Take a Breath
- Just Do Something
In my review of Everybody, Always I said that maybe people should still read it. If it will help people love others better, then who am I to stand in the way, but now that I’ve seen the pattern of his books, I’m not so sure I can keep giving that counsel. I think there are better books for these things.
While reading this book I couldn’t stop thinking about this YouTube channel where these guys create videos making fun of Christian influencers. HERE is one of their videos. I think they could get some good material from Bob. He spends 3-4 pages telling this story that’s either elaborate or name-droppy and then turns it into an analogy that’s cringe or just a general stretch. Alllll of that lead-up just to say… that?
‘The other day… I was trying to eat noodles with a fork and they kept sliding between the tines and falling off… And so I have this question for you… What are the things falling between the tines of your life? If you live an undistracted life, you’ll start eating your noodles with a spoon and you won’t let important things fall away.’ (This is me trying to write like Bob Goff…)
For real though. Here are some examples from the book:
The time he built something in shop class— which by the way his shop teacher only has 3 fingers— tells us that even if we fail (and lose fingers) we can still do our purpose.
His VIP pass to the ‘mosh pit’ at Carrie Underwood’s concert because he’s besties with Carrie’s guitarist tells us we need to “live out our faith in the mosh pit.” We have an all-access pass to the world.
The time he was hanging out with Jim Caveziel but didn’t know it until afterwards tells us that sometimes we “fail to recognize Jesus is in the room with us.”
The time Keith Green wrote him a letter when he was younger tells us that we need to make someone else feel important because it’s a big deal.
The time he took his kids in their dinghy and parked between two pirate ships having a mock battle in the bay with cannons (which is super safe and recommended) reminds us that we need to stop firing shots with our words.
The time he pinned medals on all the soldiers in the trenches of the Middle East that were about to try to liberate Mosul from ISIS rule— also where Bob was asked to check out their secret battle plans— tells us that we need to liberate ourselves from negative things.
The time in 2018 when the guy hit the wrong button in Hawaii and alerted the whole country to a missile attack that wasn’t happening and they hid his identity but Bob found out who he was and called him to offer him a job tells us that we need to care about people who fail.
The time Pavlov’s dogs got eaten in the siege of Leningrad tells us that sometimes bad things happen.
The time someone just gave him a horse that was a descendant of Secretariat tells us that sometimes heaven surprises us.
The time Bob hung out with the son of the man who started Holiday Inn hotels tells us that we can be distracted when we think we’re too important.
He did this in Everybody, Always too. The few good points are hidden in all of this EXTRA. Are those really the best ways to get the point across? Also, what IS the point?
Here’s the thing about Bob Goff.
I’ve never met him but I would venture to guess he’s a genuine guy who truly does love people and aims to help them however he can. I don’t doubt his sincerity. I don’t believe he writes books to make money. He writes because he really wants to inspire people in positive ways. With all the schools and wells and such that he’s built, he obviously practices what he preaches in terms of serving others.
And yes, he’s a good story teller and he’s funny (when he’s not trying too hard to be funny).
However, there is something ‘off’ here that I can’t quite put my finger on. I had the same feelings in Everybody, Always.
As I looked through my notes of this book I categorized them into groups: Good, Bad, Jesus, and True?.
There were a few good things we can take away. There were some questionable statements that felt like Moralistic Therapeutic Deism or prosperity gospel. There were times where he talks about Jesus and how he died for us and is doing a great work in our lives. And there were some statements that made me go- Is that really true? (I won’t take the space to delve into that last one much)
He mentions Jesus so everything must be good right?
“I’m not saying go light on sound doctrine. I am saying if we go big on Jesus, we’ll be living out some great theology.”
We can get on the Bob Goff train because he believes in Jesus!
Well. Let’s not make rash decisions just because he hangs out at Disney Land and carries balloons everywhere.
I was surprised when he came right out and said:
“Someone asked me if I was watering down the gospel in the books I write. “Actually,” I said, “I hope so.” Here’s why. I want to write books for thirsty people. There’s a lot of people who are full of opinions but parched in their own lives because they simply aren’t thirsty anymore.”
I don’t know what he means here but it’s a bit concerning. Maybe he’s just writing a ‘seeker-friendly’ type of book that just introduces the idea of Jesus?
I’ve heard the analogy of advising not to pour an entire pitcher of water if someone is only holding a dixie cup— meaning don’t overload someone; simplify, and work your way up to a bigger cup. But that’s not changing the substance that’s going in. It’s not changing the quality, it’s changing the quantity.
But he also says this:
“If you need a starting nudge, maybe the best first step is to find what you trust the most and put wheels on it. If you are a Jesus person, what you trust might be what you find in the books and letters compiled into the Bible—words that will give you more than a lifetime of ideas for how to live a more joyful and purposeful life. If faith isn’t your thing, then find something else you can put your trust in. Who knows? Perhaps the answer will come later.”
I can respect that he doesn’t want to shove the Bible down people’s throats, but as with other self-help books I’ve read (like Brene Brown) where they just encourage people to find out ‘whatever works for them’—even though they personally trust Jesus— just rubs me the wrong way.
If Jesus is the way then why would you approve of any other way? If that’s the path of truth, of true peace, true purpose, true belonging, then tell people that! And if you don’t tell people that, then do you not believe it is?
There are a lot of self-proclaimed Christians that just want you to be nice to everyone, follow your dreams, and be better versions of yourselves. Just find your purpose, put your head down and be you. Be your authentic self. It seems confusing to be opposed to this philosophy but these ideals are found in Moralistic Therapeutic Deism and it’s void of the gospel.
Here are things Bob says in his book that fits this philosophy:
“Give yourself a pep talk about how it’s okay to be exactly who you are.”
“You will only be as free as you actually believe you are.”
“People who accomplish a great deal in their lives are filled with joy and lasting ambitions; they choose a direction then take the steps and actions needed to stay the course. Be one of these people, and you will find your joy once again.”
“You are only one generous act of availability away from being a better version of yourself.”
“Go love people in extravagant, wildly inefficient ways by speaking words of beauty into their lives. Your words have that kind of power.”
“We need to return to the most real versions of our faith and the most authentic versions of ourselves.”
“You get to set the course for who you want to be.”
He runs a retreat center called The Oaks and when I searched for information about these retreats, these two statements are listed:
‘Explore what is holding you back and overcome barriers that are keeping you stuck.
Gain the confidence to turn your wishes, dreams and plans into reality.’
I’m sure he helps people, but this kind of rhetoric doesn’t resonate with me. It feels disingenuous and shallow. Just the term ‘self-help’ seems contrary to the gospel. You can’t find your purpose or joy apart from Christ, you just can’t. We were created to find purpose, joy, and meaning in worshiping him. It’s in our very design. Any other ‘solution’ is a mirage.
I also want to point out that I felt there were lots of contradictions in this book of what he was suggesting you do and what he was advising against.
One prominent example in his own life is that he wants to be unreasonably available to people. He puts his cell phone number in the back of all of his books and says he answers every call. He claims he has answered calls in the court room and speaking on stage to people.
But then later he says, “Think of phone use as cheating on your family.”
I like that he wants to be available to others but I find it hard to believe he’s honoring his family and those around him when he is taking every call. I would challenge that unreasonable availability is more of a distraction than a true purpose. And quite disrespectful to the people he’s with. He calls it cheating but he uses his phone excessively. Which is right?
What’s good?
To be fair… he does have some good thoughts. Unfortunately, he obscures them with his own illustrations, but I would be remiss if all I did was tell you the bad stuff. Here are some of the good snippets:
“Most of pride’s prisoners think they are the guards.”
“Every time a cynic hands you a dark invitation to join them on their journey, just hand it right back to them. They’re offering you a ride in a car with no tires that has been riding on the rims for years. That’s why they make so much noise and are surrounded by sparks. Take the bus. Walk if you must. Just don’t hitch a ride with cynics anymore. It’s a one-way trip to a life filled with distractions.”
“We can eliminate the distractions that have been obscuring our view of what God is doing in the world.”
“Don’t be too quick to self-identify as the victim when you are the student. Resist compiling a list of grievances and see how God has used these moments of desperation in your life to clear a path for some much needed grace.” [I was surprised to find such a counter-cultural statement, but I’m here for it. Victimhood as your identity and your excuse for not trying is not a right perspective.]
“When I tell God I want to have it all explained to me before I will obey, it makes faith sound like a negotiation—and it’s not.”
“The inevitability of a mistake doesn’t mean it is any less painful. It’s time we stopped acting like our failures somehow disqualify us from God’s love, when in reality these setbacks might lead to a keener awareness of it.”
“To live fully you need the whole truth about who you are because only truth will make you clear-eyed about where you’re going.”
“When an unreasonable amount of attention is given to a distraction, it can become an obsession.”
“What we do matters less than what we are working toward, who we’re working for, and why we are doing it.”
“It’s easy to spend so much time providing for your family that you’re no longer providing for your family. Do you get me? Don’t wait until later to connect with your families. It won’t happen. Choose your family over and over…”
In summation:
No, I would not recommend this book. I recommend the premise of the book and believe that we are living very distracted lives and some re-orientation is in order, but I don’t think Bob’s the guy to help you out.
He would make a good friend and would probably be a great choice for a dinner party guest but I don’t think this book will be effective in helping you identify problems or solutions that really matter.
It’s lacking in clarity and organization, and has some problematic philosophies he seems to promote, despite his clear belief in Jesus.
It’s easy to like a guy like Bob, but I think a lot of people have been taken in by his charms and stopped thinking critically about what he’s saying.
Really in general, my advice is to be wary of any self-help type of book. Some can be practically helpful, but real power to change your life is found in the work of the Holy Spirit. Find a gospel-oriented book. I’ve reviewed lots of them on my site.
After all that, I will leave you on a positive note. I can get behind this quote from this book:
“It doesn’t matter what the work is; it is who we become in the process of doing our work that does, and the goal is to look and act more like Jesus while we do it.”
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
This book released March, 2022. If you would like to read this book and make your own judgments, you can purchase a copy using my affiliate link below.
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