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