Jul 13, 2021
We all know the feeling of setting goals and intentions, only to find that we were unable to reach them because we became distracted by something else. What you may not know is that there are specific mechanisms which cause us to become distracted, and there are practical tools we can utilize to help us overcome them (these are not just life-hacks, they really work). Nir Eyal, after a profound moment in which his daughter showed him how easily distracted he was, went on a journey of discovery which culminated in his second book, Indistractable. In the pursuit of indistractability, the importance of planning cannot be overstated, but Nir stresses that we need to move away from to-do lists and plan in a way that allows us to live in alignment with our values. In today’s episode, Nir also explains the three other steps in the process of shedding our distractibility, and how we can learn to harness our psychological powers in order to live our most fulfilling lives.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Hear about the profoundly impactful moment with his daughter which inspired Nir to write Indistractable. [00:02:59]
- How our tendency to live in a distracted state negatively impacts our entire lives. [00:06:00]
- Definitions of distraction and (its opposite) traction. [00:07:48]
- How sometimes, even things that feel productive are actually distractions, and why this type of distraction is so dangerous. [00:09:23]
- The healthy way to make use of technology. And no, you don’t have to give up social media! [00:10:49]
- Internal triggers versus external triggers, and which ones lead to more distracting actions. [00:11:10]
- Step one to becoming indistractable. [00:12:26]
- Why it’s better to tell yourself, “Not yet,” rather than, “No”; the 10-minute rule. [00:13:55]
- What it means to surf the urge, and the type of dialog you should have with yourself during this time. [00:17:00]
- How planning your day on a time-focused basis differs from running your life on a to-do list; and which one will help you become indistractable. [00:19:46]
- Psychological reactance; an explanation of our inherent tendency to rebel against being told what to do. [00:23:50]
- Ways that we can change our mindset around planning our time. [00:25:03]
- What it really means to be an indistractable person. [00:28:47]
- A practical example of how to hack back external triggers (many more of which can be found in Nir’s book). [00:30:05]
- How Nir defines values, and how planning will help you live in accordance with your values. [00:32:30]
- Reasons that, on average, people take three times longer to finish a task than they had planned. [00:34:07]
- Pacts as the last line of defense against distraction. [00:36:01]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
NAPO — http://napo.net/join
NAPO Podcast — https://napopodcast.com