Conquer Distraction

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Nir Eyal, who has been celebrated by Bloomberg Businessweek as “the habits guy.” This man knows how to get shit done. After all, he writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business – and has authored two bestselling books. As I read his latest, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, I felt like it was calling me out. Even though I am forced to be laser focused (or risk severe consequences) while climbing mountains, I’m no stranger to distraction in my regular life.

One minute I’ll be working, and the next I’m in my bathroom cleaning. It’s not even necessarily a conscious choice, but I justify it as “taking a mental break” or “still being productive, just in a different way.” Indistractable tells a much different story. Nir urges us to look at the internal triggers that cause us to get up out of that desk chair and step away from the task at hand. In other words, what am I really feeling when working? Am I lonely? Tired? Uncertain? These are all emotions that can be addressed if I know what they are. The really crazy thing is that it is these internal triggers (not the pings, dings, and rings that we think are the culprit) that cause 90% of our distraction.

So what can you do to become more Indistractable today? Nir gave some simple suggestions during our conversation, and you can find many more in his book:

Redefine Success and Check In 

Nir suggests not necessarily setting an achievement-based goal (i.e. I need to read three chapters in the next 60 minutes) but rather time-based (i.e. I need to read for 60 minutes without being distracted). Success is not defined by whether you’re able to cross something off your to-do list, but rather whether you fulfilled the commitment you made to yourself. This has the added benefit of helping you understand exactly how much time you should budget for any given task. If you finished ¼ of it while working for one hour without distraction, that means it will take four total hours to complete.

How it works for me: When I know I need to combat distraction, I’ll often set a timer on my phone. When that alarm rings, it’s my signal to pause and ask myself whether the thing I’m actually doing is the task I had originally set out to do. For example, let’s say I need to outline a chapter for my book. When that timer goes off, I better be sitting at my desk working! If I’m instead in the bathroom organizing my cabinet, it’s a sign that I need to analyze the emotion behind writing the book and see what I can do about it. For instance, if I’m feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material, I can break it into smaller chunks rather than beating myself up about not making progress.

Calendar It

Nir suggests a complete restructuring of the way most people tackle their goals. Rather than maintaining a CVS receipt-length to-do list that never seems to shrink, write out the things you must do and assign each of them to a specific space in your calendar. It’s fine to make adjustments day-to-day, but once a calendar is set for the morning, that’s it. Nothing (except for an actual emergency) is allowed to infiltrate that time.

How it works for me: I plan my calendar on Sunday for the week ahead. I first block my personal calendar with my hobbies and workouts: the things I need to fill my own cup. This allows me to be sure I have energy to take care of others.

Make a Pact

Think about who in your life could hold you accountable. Maybe it’s a spouse, best friend, or even a stranger (though a platform like Focusmate). Make a pact with that person to help kickstart your motivation. For example, Nir went to his friend Mark and vowed that if he didn’t finish his manuscript by January 1, he would owe Mark $10,000. Do you think he paid him a cent of that money? No way – he finished the manuscript.

How it works for me: As part of my training, I have to go on long hikes. There are times, particularly if I’m out by myself, where it’s easy to throw in the towel and say, “Eh, that was probably enough for today.” Before heading out, I tell my kids that I’ll take a photo for them at the top and tell them about it when I’m home. Just having that verbal pact ensures that I don’t quit early. I would have to have sustained a serious injury along the way to come home and tell them, “Oh, just kidding – I didn’t actually make it to the top.”

Have a Backup Plan

If you’re too rigid on the task you want to complete, you might hit up against something that Nir explained is called psychological reactance. This just means that when you are told what to do (even if the person telling you what to do is yourself) it’s natural to want to rebel. To get through this, think about the values that map to your individual goals and allow yourself some flexibility.

How it works for me: Before I climb a mountain, I know I have to train my body in a particular way or I’ll likely not make it to the summit. Getting myself to that standard is my guiding goal. How I do it can look different on a given day – I don’t give up because of some external factor. Instead, I keep a menu of options. I planned to go for an outdoor hike but there’s a severe thunderstorm warning? No worries – I’ll train on the treadmill that day. If that isn’t available, I could go to an exercise class. I always have my Choice A, but then also B and C just in case.

Increase the Barrier to Entry for Your Time

I know what you’re thinking: “Great, but my team at work is constantly pinging me and calling last minute meetings. What about those times when it’s not possible to sit and focus for a given period of time?” If you’re someone who works with other people, this might be your reality. But in almost all cases, there are ways you can encourage others to use group time more mindfully. It can be as simple as requesting for an agenda to be circulated before a business meeting. You’d likely be surprised at how efficiently this cuts down on the requests you get. If that isn’t realistic, see if you can shift your schedule. One of my friends goes into the office 30 minutes early to get some uninterrupted focus time before her colleagues arrive. A coaching client I work with takes her lunch break an hour before her boss so she can use that time while her boss is at lunch to crank out tasks without distraction. See what works for you, and don’t be afraid to have conversations with others about what you need.

How it works for me: I have an “On Air” light outside my office at home. First, it was a signal that meant I was in the process of recording a podcast and should not be bothered unless it were a life or death scenario. Now, it’s more flexible: it indicates to my kids that I’m working on something important and need time to focus. When I first began this practice, I had a discussion with my kids and related it to their soccer games. If they were racing down the field, I wouldn’t stand up amongst the other proud parents and yell, “Hey! How’s your math homework going?” Doing so would throw off the entire team (and embarrass the hell out of my kids). Instead, I would save that conversation for after the game when we returned home. Of course, there are certain times when I know I can’t realistically hole up in my office and switch on that light. For example, 6-8 pm is prime “mom time” at my house. It’s when I need to be fully present and available to my kids. The point here is that you might be surprised what can happen if you put effort in, get curious, and allow yourself the room to figure out how to adapt ideas to fit your life.