Learn how to avoid distraction in a world that is full of it
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Distraction is an unhealthy
Distraction is an unhealthy escape from bad feelings.
– Nir Iyal, Author
What is the opposite
What is the opposite of distraction?
If you don’t want to be distracted, presumably you want the opposite. But if you search “distraction antonym,” you will find that “distraction” doesn’t have an exact opposite.
But, we can adopt the term “traction” as the opposite of distraction.
Traction is any action you do with intent. It’s doing what you say you will do.
Becoming indistractable is not
Becoming indistractable is not some mysterious formula, it’s as easy as following four steps.
Mastering your internal triggers, making time for traction, hacking back your external triggers, and preventing distractions with pacts, are powerful tools that can reshape your life.
Four strategies for becoming
Four strategies for becoming indistractable
If you are ready to take back your life from incessant distractions, you need to follow four steps to become indistractable:
- Master internal triggers.
- Make time for traction.
- Hack back external triggers.
- Prevent distraction with pacts.
Make time for traction.Turn
Make time for traction.
Turn your values into time.
Many people talk a good game about what’s important to them like their families, their health, and their friends, but when it comes to investing time in these areas of their lives, they get distracted and don’t follow through. They don’t live up to their values because they don’t make time for them in their day.
Values are the attributes of the person you want to become.
Let’s start with the
Let’s start with the definition of distraction. Distraction is “the process of interrupting attention” and “a stimulus or task that draws attention away from the task of primary interest.”
In other words, distractions draw us away from what we want to do, whether it’s to accomplish a task at home or work, enjoy time with a loved one, or do something for ourselves.
Traction is any action
Traction is any action that moves us towards what we really want.
– Nir Iyal, Author
Internal triggers are cues
Internal triggers are cues from within us. When we’re hungry, we are cued to get something to eat; when we feel a chill, we put on a sweater.
When we’re stressed or lonely, we might call a friend for support. Internal triggers are negative feelings.
The most effective way
The most effective way to make sure you’ll make time for your values is through timeboxing.
Timeboxing means deciding what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it. The goal is to create a template for how to spend your time each day, eliminating all white space in your calendar.
It doesn’t matter what you do as long as that is what you planned to do (including scrolling through social media).
Hack Back External Triggers.The
Hack Back External Triggers.
The pings and dings from our devices often distract us by pulling us away from what we really want to do. The right approach is to ask whether the external trigger is serving you, or are you serving it. If the prompt leads you to traction, keep it. If it leads you to distraction, eliminate it.
Hack back your smartphone.
- Remove the apps you no longer need.
- Remove apps that you like, but that you can use on your computer instead.
- Rearrange the remaining apps on your phone to reduce visual clutter.
- Adjust your notification settings for each app.
Master internal triggers.In order
Master internal triggers.
In order to overcome distractions, you need to understand what drives your behaviors—what prompts you to compulsively look at your phone or read one more email.
The root cause of human behavior is the desire to escape discomfort. Even when we think we are seeking pleasure, we’re actually driven by the desire to free ourselves from the pain of wanting.
- Identify the feeling or thought behind your urge.
- Write it down.
- Explore the sensation.
Prevent distraction with pacts.Decide
Prevent distraction with pacts.
Decide how much time you want to devote to each domain of your life, according to your values.
Make sure that you schedule enough time for yourself and for your relationships.
After all, the most important people in your life deserve better than the leftover time in your day.
There are three types
There are three types of pacts.
- An effort pact is a kind of precommitment that involves increasing the amount of effort required to do something you don’t want to do.
- A price pact puts money on the line. If you stick to your intended behavior, you keep the cash. If you get distracted, you forfeit your funds.
- An identity pact is another way to change your response to distractions. Your self-image has a profound impact on your behavior.
What causes distraction?External triggers
What causes distraction?
External triggers are cues from our environment that tell us what to do next. These are the dings and pings that prompt us to check our email, answer a text, or look at a news alert.
Competition for our attention can come from a person as well, such as an interruption from a coworker when we are in the middle of doing focused work.