How to Become Indistractable: Hacking Back External Triggers

Jun 28, 2024

How to Become Indistractable: Hacking Back External Triggers

Introduction

  • Presenter: Nir Eyal, author of "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life"
  • Series: Part three on becoming indistractable
  • Focus: How to hack back external triggers

Key Points

Understanding External Triggers

  • Defined as pings, dings, and rings from the outside environment disrupting focus
  • Question to Ask: Is this trigger serving me, or am I serving it?
    • If not serving, it must be removed
    • If it leads to planned activities (traction), it's positive; otherwise, it's a distraction

Hacking Back Workplace Interruptions

  • Primary distractions are often other people (e.g., open office floor plans)
  • Importance of defending focus for creative work, problem-solving
  • Tactical Tool: Screen sign indicator for being indistractable
    • Available in the book or at "nearandfar.com/focus"

Hacking Back Email

  • Email Distraction Formula: Total Time (T) = Number of Emails (N) x Time per Email (T)
    • Reducing email interaction reduces overall distraction time
  • Tactic: Send fewer emails to receive fewer emails

Hacking Back Group Meetings

  • Group Chats (Online Meetings)
    • Apply focus and structure to avoid time waste
    • Rules:
      • Get in and get out
      • Schedule specific times for group chats
      • Be selective about participation
  • Physical Meetings
    • Require an agenda, circulate briefings
    • Conduct for gaining consensus only, not brainstorming
    • Remove all distracting devices; use only one laptop for focused attention

Hacking Back Smartphones and Digital Devices

  • Remove superfluous apps to reduce distractions
  • Replace functionalities with non-digital alternatives (e.g., wristwatch instead of phone for time)
  • Rearrange apps to make distracting ones less accessible
  • Reclaim notifications: Minimize audible notifications

Hacking Back Desktop Clutter

  • Organize desktop: Remove visual clutter that can distract
  • Turn off notifications on your desktop

Managing Information Overload

  • Use apps like Pocket for reading articles later
    • Multitasking strategies: Listen to saved articles while doing other activities (e.g., gym, walking)
  • Hack Social Media Feeds
    • Tools like News Feed Eradicator to remove distracting feeds, replacing them with useful content (e.g., quotes)

Summary

  • Always ask: Is this external trigger serving me, or am I serving it?
  • Apply strategies to hack back workplace interruptions, emails, group meetings, smartphones, and digital clutter.

Next Steps

  • Next part: How to prevent distraction with pacts
  • More resources:
    • Book: Indistractable
    • Blog: nearandfar.com with free tools and resources

Conclusion

  • Stay strong and stay indistractable