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Mastering your internal triggers with Nir Eyal
Distractions are everywhere. A deluge of content on social media, notifications from your phone, coworkers talking loudly in your open office; the list is endless. But author Nir Eyal says these types of external triggers aren’t the root cause of your lack of focus. He suggests the true distraction triggers are internal: a fear of loneliness or aversion to boredom.
In this video lesson, Eyal reveals how distraction actually occurs when trying to escape uncomfortable emotional states. To truly become “indistractable,” he argues that you have to address your internal triggers first. And that means acknowledging that time management is pain management.
Learning objectives:
Recognize and reframe internal triggers.
Protect your time through individual and team planning.
Take steps to manage and reduce external triggers.
Use pacts to stay focused on goals.
Promote an indistractable workplace culture.
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Lessons:
Lesson 1: Make Time for Traction
“We never shall have any more time. We have, and we have always had, all the time there is,” wrote English author Arnold Bennett in his 1908 book "How to Live on 24 Hours a Day".
Lesson 2: Hack Back Your External Triggers
Consider these two alerts: Your phone dinging because your favorite gaming app just updated and then pinging to tell you your workout starts in 10 minutes. What’s the difference? Eyal argues one is a negative trigger that moves you toward distraction while the second is a positive trigger that moves you toward traction.
Lesson 3: Stay on Track with Pacts
We’ve all seen the movies in which two pals make a pact. To get married if they’re both single at a certain age. To exact revenge. To win a local competition. So many tales are woven around the making and keeping of promises to accomplish goals, large and small.
Lesson 4: Address the Root Causes of Distraction in the Workplace
Many people feel at least some level of frustration with technology in the workplace. Whether you’re attending video meetings or responding to a never-ending stream of emails, it’s easy to feel like digital tools hinder rather than help you meet your deadlines.
Lesson 5: Use the Regret Test to Promote Ethical Behavioral Design
Having trouble putting your phone down? You’re not alone. A recent study estimated that the average adult engages with their phone at least every ten minutes.
