get off track

get off track

1. Literally, to lose one's bearings or course of direction. It was only after an hour or so that we realized that we had somehow gotten off track during the storm.
2. By extension, to lose sight of or be distracted from one's goal(s); to become unfocused; to stray from the central topic, issue, or subject at hand. I tried to keep everyone's attention on the few key issues that needed to be addressed, but we kept getting off track with general complaints and asinine suggestions. We wanted to have the product released by the early spring, but we got off track with a number of technical issues.
See also: get, off, track
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • cover (one's) tracks (up)
  • cover one's tracks
  • cover tracks
  • cover your tracks
  • literally
  • be scratching (one's) head
  • be scratching your head
  • big boned
  • be lost in translation
  • blow smoke
References in periodicals archive
It's easy to get off track and start building additions to the house.
Build your corporate house: from foundation to roof, your planning should start with "who" and "why"
A study found that two out of three regularly get off track, with the total soaring to eight out of 10 in London.
Hols journeys into unknown
This differential between expected and extreme loss levels is where many get off track on this measure of risk-taking, especially since "expected" losses are often not accounted for in operating plans.
The big three
If you get off track, though, don't beat yourself up.
How to find time! Whew! So busy that you're constantly running out of time? Here are ways to cut yourself some slack
Even the most well-planned quality efforts will get off track from time to time.
Restarting a quality program in your organization