Nir Eyal – Becoming Indistractable Workshop

Nir Eyal – Becoming Indistractable Workshop

Overcome Distraction Forever
Be honest. How often do you find yourself distracted throughout the day? You don’t have to share the answer, but it’s worth reflecting on.

How many hours do you think time gets wasted like this? Over the course of a week? A month? A year?
You’re probably thinking, “I’ve already tried all the productivity stuff,” and you would be right.
You’ve tried all the “productivity hacks”; you’ve tried again and again to simply focus, but the results are always the same. You somehow find yourself on social media, daydreaming, or doing anything but the work you should be doing.
Does the following sound like you?
You have ambitious goals you’ve set for yourself, but there are too many strains on your time and attention. There’s the problem with procrastination of course, but it’s also difficult to find the time in the day to do the things you’ve committed to. Where do the hours go every day?
You’re also feeling overwhelmed. With so much work to do and so many competing priorities, it feels like you’ve taken on too much. Yet you know that there should be enough time in the day to get everything done.
Though it may be difficult to admit, you sometimes feel disappointed with yourself. You haven’t been able to make the changes you want, and you find yourself falling back into old patterns.
First of all, it’s important to not beat yourself up too much. It’s normal to feel frustrated and overwhelmed when trying to build new behaviors.
Trying to create new routines is difficult at the best of times.When it comes to something as difficult as overcoming distraction for good, things can get pretty tough.

We need to take a more effective approach. It’s time to change the way we think.
The Three Myths of Distraction
Distraction Myth #1: Productivity Hacks Eliminate Distraction.
There are hundreds of tools, tricks, tips, and productivity gurus out there, each with the perfect fix to transform you into the most productive version of yourself.
Pomodoro timers and site blockers each have their place, but they ultimately fail to get to the root cause of why we find ourselves distracted in the first place.
The Truth: Understanding and overcoming distraction requires one thing above all others: education. We can apply all the productivity tricks in the world, but if we don’t get to the root cause of what’s causing our distraction, we’ll always find ourselves falling back into old patterns.
Distraction Myth #2: Maybe You’re Just Lazy.
Day in, day out, you find yourself ignoring the work you know needs to get done. Despite your best efforts and best interest, you catch yourself opening new tabs and opening yourself up to new distractions. Surely, you just don’t want to work. Surely, this must mean you’re just lazy.
The Truth: The fact you’re here reading means it’s unlikely you’re lazy. What’s more likely is you simply haven’t yet identified the trigger leading to your distraction. What’s worse, thinking you’re lazy can lead to a vicious cycle where you feel bad about being distracted, so you procrastinate to feel better, and then feel even worse!
Distraction Myth #3: All You Need is Willpower.
If you simply had enough willpower, then distraction wouldn’t be a problem. You’ve done it before: three shots of coffee, a solid deadline, and a keen interest in what you’re working on. All the other times you’ve been distracted have been because you’re not committed enough to getting the work done. All you need is to persevere to get things done, right?
The Truth: While external pressures (and substances) can certainly help our productivity in the short term, this is just one piece of the puzzle. Contrary to popular belief, willpower can actually be improved. However, the answer to overcoming distraction is much more complex than willpower alone and again, relies on education above all else.
That’s why I created Becoming Indistractable.