According to Eyal [^eyal], a traction is something that helps you achieve your personal goals, and a dis-traction is the opposite: something that makes achieving your goals more difficult. This definition is interesting because of the emphasis on personal goals; by this definition, even activities that are typically considered "[[Productivity|productive]]" are distractions if they do not move you towards the goal you're currently working on. ## Remove distractions The most ideal way to deal with distractions is to get rid of them: - Disable notifications on all devices, to the point of keeping them perpetually on silent mode until otherwise needed. - Close programs that are distracting. There are tools, such as macOS's built-in Downtime mode, or [Freedom](https://freedom.to), that restrict access on a schedule for those who need the extra push. - Don't bring your laptop. - Turn off wifi. [[The ability to do deep work is the strongest predictor of success.|Deep Work]] encourages the removal of distractions in many forms, including a kind of asceticism that involves taking a sabbatical in the woods to get work done. ## Helping yourself resist distractions - [[Meditation]] is focusing practice. Meditating regularly can help you build [[Willpower]] maintain focus on things that matter. - [[Calendar blocking]]: Build a schedule that includes activities that provide traction. - Resisting distractions is a [[Forming Habits|habit that must be formed]] and maintained. Thus, things that help habits form can also help you resist distractions, such as: [^clear] - ![[Forming Habits#Ways to start a habit]] [^eyal]: Eyal, N. (2019). _Indistractable: How to control your attention and choose your life._ BenBella Books. [[Shortform-Indistractable|Shortform highlights]] and [[sources/Book/Indistractable|My thoughts on the book]]. [^clear]: Clear, J. (2018). _Atomic habits_. Random House