Every time you take a picture, take a moment to move your eye around the viewfinder looking for distracting elements. This will take perhaps a fraction of a second, but it will make a huge difference in your work. Look for elements that draw attention away from the subject because they are too graphic, too colorful, too light, and/or too busy. If you notice anything in the background or foreground that may be problematic, change your shooting angle or switch lenses to deal with the problem. If you can't do anything about the distractions, then work out in your mind how you can replace the background in Photoshop after-the-fact.
This is Double Arch in Arches National Park, Utah on a foggy and wintry day.