When we start on new ideas, new habits, new books, new shows, new activities, new relationships, we are at a peak in terms of our excitement and motivation. 

However, once we have spent a little time on it, the excitement and motivation levels start to drop off and plateau somewhere lower than the peak. 

This is when distractions play such a big role. 

When we are at the peak of our excitement and motivation, nothing can distract us. But, when we've reached the plateau, that's when there are other shiny new things that tend to catch our attention and promise to take us to that peak feeling again. 

And we struggle to ignore it because we like that feeling. 

But the real work and the real progress happens when we are trudging through the plateau.