Indistractable : How To Control Your Attention And Choose Your Life - Nir Eyal

Indistractable : How To Control Your Attention And Choose Your Life

Distractions can lead to depression if not quickly managed

Getting distracted might look like a minor issue to you until you start experiencing signs of depression. Depression works alongside distractions because they both feed on your inability to make conscious decisions. When you're distracted, you slip into a state of dysfunction where you start to engage yourself in anything to keep your mind going.

When you're able to manage your distractions, your risks of falling into depression become slimmer. For example, if you stop smoking, your chances of having lung problems will reduce, thereby reducing your chances of depression in the long run. You need to understand why you can be distracted because it can help you understand why you can be depressed also.

Nir Eyal has successfully written a work of art that would stand the test of time. This book is the ultimate guide to understanding the basics if distractions and how to get rid of them

The overuse of things, no matter how trivial, can affect you

Prioritizing distractions over essential things can lead to negative consequences in your life and the lives of those around you.

A lot of people miss special physical interactions with others because of technology. The ease of access to computers and smartphones has made it difficult to engage in special physical moments with families and friends.

Simply removing tech doesn't guarantee that you won't be distracted from real-life issues.

To be indistractable, you need to know the wrong things you do and how to stop them.

To be indistractable:
• Master internal triggers
• Make time for traction
• Hack back external triggers
• Prevent distractions with pacts.

Humans constantly yearn for more things, whether they need it or not

As represented in the Greek mythology of Tantalus, a man who was punished by Zeus, humans might be punished for their unending wants and needs. Zeus banished Tantalus to the underworld, punishing him for not being satisfied with the things he has. He sent him to a place where there was a tree with only one fruit on it and a stream of water beneath his feet. Anytime Tantalus tries to pluck the fruit; it moves away from him, and so does the water whenever he tries to drink. The human wants are classified into traction and distraction.

Traction pulls you to do the things that add value to your life, while distraction pulls you away from them.

Being indistractable means you're able to do what you plan to do.

Motivation and distraction are very similar and can be very confusing for a lot of people

When Zoe Chance, a professor at the Yale School of Management, told her story to a TEDx audience, she was able to point out how distraction can be confused for motivation. She was an avid user of the mobile application Pedometer that counts steps and helps with fitness. Users get bonus points for the number of steps they take, and the higher your steps, the better your bonus points. Chance felt motivated to walk a lot because she wanted those bonus points. To her, she felt motivated by those points, but in all honesty, she was getting distracted from her family and putting pressure on herself.

If you can manage your motivation and know when it's becoming a distraction, you can be indistractable

Distractions cost time and a lot of effort are wasted on things that do not necessarily add value to your life

Several factors influence humans' endless needs and wants. The constant need for more stuff propels you towards some psychological feelings. Feelings like boredom, love, sadness, etc. push you towards finding something to keep your mind occupied.

Distraction is mostly used as a way of getting over pain or negative thoughts. It is spurred by the desire to escape the pain.

If you truly want to be indistractable, you must first understand what discomfort is, and how it can be used as an inspiration.

To be indistractable, you need to be able to channel negative feelings and thoughts towards something positive.

Simply saying “no” to addiction or distraction seems like a very simple solution, but it's not. As a matter of fact, outright resistance of urges can seriously backfire and cause a reproach. For instance, if you are told not to think about a white polar bear, you'll most likely think about it every minute. This test was developed by Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1863. The mere thought of not thinking about something causes you to think more about it, and that's the same with distraction.

Trying to resist an urge to do something would most likely cause you to do that thing immediately.

While it is impossible to control the thoughts that come into your head, you can control what to do with those thoughts

There are four steps to help you control intrusive thoughts.

1. Look for the discomfort. You can do this by checking for things that get you distracted, like feeling anxious, having a craving, feeling restless, or thinking you are incompetent.

2. Write down the trigger. This helps you to keep track of your distractions and what triggers it. Note the time, the moment, and your reactions to it.

3. Explore your sensations. When you feel the trigger to your distractions, explore the sensation that comes with it. The twitching of your fingers or the knot in your chest when you are about to be distracted can be used for your own good.

4. Beware of liminal moments. Liminal moments are transitions from one thing to another throughout your day. It is when you are lost in an action you thought would last a few seconds. To get rid of this habit, adopt the “10-minute rule.” Anytime you're faced with the urge to do something for the moment, push it forwards for another ten minutes, and you'll most likely end up not doing it.

Control intrusive thoughts:
1. Look for the discomfort.
2. Write down the trigger.
3. Explore your sensations.
4. Beware of liminal moments.

Using fun as a technique for doing dreary tasks can be very helpful

According to Ian Bogost, having fun doesn't necessarily require doing something fun. The fun doesn't need to feel good, you can use it as a technique to stay focused instead and keep you away from addiction.

Playing with cigarettes rather than smoking them can help you beat the smoking addiction.

When you play, it doesn't have to be pleasurable to you at all times.

Adding a playful attitude towards something can considerably boost your productivity and keep you away from distractions.

A lot of times, humans deceive themselves by believing that since their ego is supposedly depleted, they are afforded a little bit of distraction. You tend to believe that you're “spent,” so you go ahead and get distracted for a few moments. Seeing willpower as the tool that absolutely controls your temperament is a wrong ideology to believe in. You can always control your temperament irrespective of the situation. You simply don't run out of willpower just because you feel you've done enough.

You need to immerse yourself in the reality of things because your power or powerlessness is determined by how you measure it yourself.

Time is of valuable essence. You can predict someone's life to a certain extent if you know how they manage their time

You must align your values with the time you have. This simply means that you should use the best part of your time for something valuable.

You can't call something a distraction unless you actually know what it's distracting you from. Planning ahead gives you a leverage and allows you to know the difference between traction and distraction. When you plan ahead, you will know what's distracting you, how it's distracting you, and why.

Draw a guideline for yourself and adhere to it very well. Evaluate your current position and make the necessary adjustments.

There are three life domains peculiar to everyone. They are; work, relationships and you. Schedule time for yourself first. Without you, the other two domains cease to exist.

Focus more on what you use your time for than what comes out of it. You can't always control the output, but you have considerable power towards the input.

When it comes to living the life you truly want, you have to make sure you allocate time to living your values because it is the only thing you should focus on.

You must also schedule quality time for people that are important to your life

Families and friends are very important to your life, which is why you can't let distractions replace them.

Make time for your loved ones and avoid unnecessary excuses when you're with them.

Engaging in chores, and making physical efforts to show that your families and friends are important to you goes a long way in helping you build a healthy life.

Having a work attitude can help you build persistence and focus. It also makes you industrious and collaborative in a working environment.

It should be noted, however, that if you're not careful with your time, you'll be pulled into your work till you're lost in it. You must schedule your work so well and avoid getting tempted by extra tasks. The moment your schedule changes, synchronize it with your new plans and make necessary adjustments

Ask the critical questions about your external triggers

External triggers frequently lead to distraction. Several signals in your environment like the alerts, dings, notes, reminders, and rings from all your devices, coupled with continuous interruptions from other people, most times distract you.

This is not to say that external triggers are always harmful — there are a lot of external triggers that are very good for you.

Reminders can be useful for you if you have an appointment. If an external trigger, leads you to traction, it's the right type of external trigger.

You must then question yourself if your external triggers are serving as traction or distraction.

Interruptions, in a lot of cases, lead to avoidable and unavoidable mistakes. It is impossible to have your productivity at its peak when you are frequently distracted. You must get rid of the things or people that interrupt you. Interruption can cause a pause in the way you flow, and it also hinders smooth creativity.

Make it known when you do not want to be interrupted or distracted. Create a sign that signals your intention so that people can read that you don't want to be interrupted at the moment.

Defend your focus by staying away from things that interrupt you.

Be wary of the amount of time you give to certain things that seem important, yet unnecessary

Mail can be a massive distraction when you let it get the better of you. You must reduce the number of emails you receive. Schedule which mail needs a response, and rate them according to the urgency. You can also schedule a particular time and set it apart for attending to the mails.

When it comes to business emails, go straight to the point without wasting much time. Create a template for particular types of mails so that you can easily use it when you need to.

Make it harder to call a meeting by making it clear that meetings should only come up for the discussion of very important issues.

Avoid excessive use of smartphones or computer devices in a meeting. When everyone is focused on their devices, it makes it difficult to come up with creative solutions to the tabled problems. Also, avoid being distracted in the meeting. Be fully present and contribute as much as needed.

Smartphones are undeniably important to everyone in the current age because they make things easier and faster. A lot of people are dependent on smartphones to a point where they are massively distracted by them. There are four steps to get over the distractions caused by smartphones.

1. Remove. This step involves removing things you don't need from your phone. They could be apps or files that you do not use or need.

2. Replace. As well as removing the applications you don't need, you can also remove the applications you need. This is possible by replacing the location of those applications. Accessing social media on your laptop instead of your phone makes it easier for you to remove the apps from your phone.

3. Rearrange. This involves sorting your applications into categories that allow you to know where to find them

4. Reclaim. Notifications and ads claim your phones to an extent. Reclaim your phone by shutting out these notifications till you're left with the very important ones.

Make your desktop as free as possible. Adding all your files on your desktop screen is not a good strategy; it will end up getting you distracted.

Turn off your desktop notifications so that you won't be interrupted while you work.

Online articles and feeds are mostly full of biased, incorrect and distracting external triggers that act as bait to keep you distracted

When you open online articles, you are bound to be drawn by the writer's carefully chosen words that are meant to capture your attention. The moment you think you are done reading, an additional link captures your attention. External links lead you to other links, and before you know it, you have left what you originally intended to read. Save tabs for later, and opt for other options like audiobooks.

Feeds, like the ones you go through on social media platforms, are designed to keep you engaged and distracted. Avoid feeds by using applications that would eliminate them from your social media platforms.

Precommitment involves taking certain measures (sometimes extreme) to achieve focus and determination

Focus is not only about keeping distractions out, but it also involves keeping yourself in. Precommitment helps you stick with your decisions, especially when you have taken adequate measures to make sure you're boxed in.

For writers who use computers that are not connected to the internet, they have very little to get distracted with.

Effort pact is a precommitment to a task by using social and moral obligations to reward or punish yourself. It works in a way that helps prevent distraction by employing techniques that would make unwanted distractions a taboo.

Set up your working environment where you can be criticized by people whenever you slack off.

Don't be scared of criticism or pressure. Effort pacts afford you the option of evaluating and reevaluating your position so you can know where you stand.

Another way to stay focused is by putting your money on the line. Set up a task and place valuable money on the line. If you meet up with your deadline, you get your money back, and if you don't, you forfeit your money. You can do this with a friend or a family member. You should note, however, that price pact isn't for heavy tasks or tasks that do not have proximate targets. If you are not strong enough to enter a price pact, stay away from it.

Identity massively influences human behavior because people tend to synchronize their actions with how they view themselves.

Identity pact is a precommitment to preserving your self-image and moral grounds. If you do not have an identity that keeps you in check, create one for yourself.

Create a moniker that makes you remember what you have set your mind upon at all times. Share your progress with others and make conscious efforts to keep learning

Distraction can go as far as dysfunction and even depression in some people

For example, in places of work where employees encounter high expectations where they have low control, depression can creep in. When people are depressed, they use distractions to stay focused, and a lot of times, they get lost in these distractions.

When you are constantly distracted, pay more attention to yourself to make sure it's not a sign of dysfunction.

Don't suffer in silence in your workplace. Your opinions and contributions must matter to the people you work with. Fixing your distractions is a way of engaging in teamwork to facilitate psychological development. Join a group of people who are also interested in fixing their distractions.

Slack has a workplace that encourages its workers to have enough time for themselves. One of the slogans attached to the walls of their company in Silicon Valley says, “work hard and go home.” Slack encourages people to schedule their times and know when to log off. On its application, Slack has a “Do not disturb” feature that can be turned on if you don't need distraction or interruption.

Stop making excuses for your inadequacies by deflecting blame

The deflection technique is common among parents who find it hard to accept mistakes, thereby deflecting the blame. Tech can have a negative influence, but it should not be seen as evil by parents.

Shutting your kids out of the tech world would only lead them to find other distractions. When used in the right way, technology can be very beneficial to kids.

From a young age, teach your kids the importance of traction and how to avoid distractions.

Kids need volition, autonomy, and freedom of control over their choices

Children are naturally competitive, and they strive for competence. This makes it easy for them to be easily distracted by things that seem competitive, especially social media. They also seek validation online, and social media provides the perfect platform for this.

When your kid is always distracted by screen-time or mobile phones, as a parent, you should try to understand why they do instead of imposing rules.

Help them plan schedules and teach them how to keep to their plans. It's important to teach them the value of time from an early stage. This keeps them focused and makes it easier for them to get rid of distractions when they grow up.

Teach your kids the importance of traction. The best way to teach them traction is by acting as a responsible role model for them..

Make your kids understand what external triggers are. Prepare them adequately by letting them know how to spot a negative external trigger, and how to manage it.

Avoid rushing them to use tech when they are not ready. Also, sleep is very important for kids, no matter how active they are. Get rid of things that would disturb their sleep time. When kids don't sleep well, they get distracted easily when they wake up because they'll look and feel tired all day. Avoid interrupting kids too. Because you are an adult that doesn't give you an undeniable right to interrupt them anytime. Respect their spaces and help them schedule time for learning.

Like adults, kids can also adopt precommitment as a way of getting rid of distractions and addictions. Teach them the benefits of pacts and how to easily create one. Also, help them build an identity pact by serving as good role models. Put kids in charge of some things and guide them accordingly. When they are put in charge, they tend to know the value of what they are put in charge of

Create and develop social norms that make harmful behaviours become a taboo to you

When you create social rules and adhere to them, you will find it easy to get rid of distractions.

Come together with a few friends to create antibodies amongst each other. Develop a punishment for people who flout the rules and be quick to reward whoever sticks to the rules.

Distraction can be a big barrier in the most intimate relationships among people.

The ease of access to the internet and smartphones has somewhat replaced physical connection, making it hard to enjoy that needed intimacy. When you're indistractable, however, you will always find ways to reclaim your time and be with those you love.

You must be an indistractable lover if you want to enjoy your life with the person you love.

Conclusion

Many people know that they get distracted easily, but they do not know why they do or how to get rid of their distractions. Distractions come in various forms, and it can spread quickly if you're not careful. Knowing what gets you distracted, and the things to do to overcome it makes you a better person in every aspect of your life.

Your ability to control your thoughts is reliant on how determined you are to remain focused. The most-brilliant innovators around the world are people who don't get distracted easily. Distraction reduces productivity and makes it difficult for you to be efficient. Applying the required techniques needed for effective traction is the ultimate guide to having a productive life.

Schedule your time and plans, and make sure it synchronizes with your work, relationships and personal life. Always create quality time for yourself and the people around you.