# Indistractable Author: [[Nir Eyal]] ## Premise ## Main points ### Traction is an action that takes us closer to our goals. A prerequisite to this statement is that traction is _intentional_, and dependent on us having purposefully identified things that we want from life. Traction is anything that is in accordance with [[My Core Principles|our core principles]]. ### Distraction is anything that opposes traction. Eyal defines *distraction* as the opposite of _traction_, emphasizing that the intrinsic worth or value of actions or activities do not affect whether they are traction or distraction. Watching TV could be traction if it is intentional. ### The source of distraction is yearning. In a very [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] turn, Eyal posits that the root of every distraction is a yearning to avoid pain. In Buddhism, suffering is universal, but the root of all suffering is desire. Similarly, all distraction occurs because we desire something. ### There are four steps to avoiding distraction 1. Recognize internal triggers. 2. Schedule traction. 3. Reduce external triggers. 4. Make precommitments to traction. ### STEP 1: We need to notice internal triggers before we can resolve them. Eyal never mentions [[Meditation]], but he describes techniques reminiscent to it, such as "surfing the urge": the act of noticing, but not acting on, an impulse or feeling of pain. ### STEP 2: We can't identify distraction without a schedule. Since distraction is an activity that takes us further from our goals, we must first elucidate our goals by way of a schedule: - Eyal advocates [[Calendar blocking]] as the only way that we can measure how "indistractable" we are. - We should share schedules with coworkers and family (if we're working from home) to help them understand when they can interrupt us. We should use physical substitutes (signs) when we are on-site. - Set "Office Hours" when you are free for meetings, and people can drop in. This limits your involvement in meetings while still giving people access to you. - When you must have meetings, have them right: - Use them sparingly and have short ones. - Don't go to unscheduled meetings. - Insist on an agenda. - Insist that others come prepared to discuss (not to brainstorm). - Don't invite everyone. ### STEP 3: Reduce external triggers. Eyal warns that we should only work on external triggers when internal ones are resolved; otherwise, our work will be in vain. Ways to reduce external triggers: - Never read articles on the spot; file them away in a reader like Pocket (I use [[Readwise]]) so we can be more discerning about whether we read it at all. - Use blocking apps like Freedom. ### STEP 4: Making a precommitment means reducing future choices to make an outcome less susceptible to distraction. Eyal's last step in avoiding distraction is precommitting to traction: arranging things in such a way as to make distraction impossible or at least improbable. This is similar to how Clear in [[Atomic Habits]] advocates for setting up an environment that is conducive to the habit you want to form: [[Make the question of willpower moot by changing your environment to remove inertia.]] Eyal identifies three ways to make a precommitment: 1. *Effort pact* - Make it hard to be distracted. 2. *Price pact* - Make it expensive (literally) to be distracted. 3. *Identity pact* - Instead of stopping yourself from being distracted, think of _yourself_ as indistractable. Of the three, identity pacts are the most stable, effective, and long-lasting. Interestingly, Eyal also talks about how teaching someone about a topic helps us learn more about the topic than if we had learned from an expert ourselves. [[Writing does not help us learn - it IS how we learn.]] ### Other concepts - A [[Cycle of Responsiveness]] is fatal for indistractability in an organization. - [[Psychological safety]] helps us maintain traction in an organization. - Developing [[Social antibodies]] protects us against peer-pressured distraction. ## Notable quotes > If distraction costs us time, then time management is pain management. > Play doesn't have to be pleasurable. It just has to hold our attention. > If we don't plan our days, someone else will. > Distractions satisfy deficiencies. ## Citation ``` [^indistractable]: Eyal, N. (2019). _[Indistractable: How to control your attention and choose your life](https://amzn.to/3B4exSi)_. BenBella Books. [[Readwise/Books/Indistractable|My highlights]] and [[Indistractable by Nir Eyal|Shortform highlights.]] ```