How to Beat Distraction and Still Enjoy Life (ft. Nir Eyal)

Why can’t we just do the things we know we should do? It’s a simple question with a very complex answer.

To help us answer it, I sat down with my old friend, Nir Eyal, a behavioral design expert and author of the best-selling book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.

I love Nir’s approach because he doesn’t linger on the surface of the problem of distraction by hocking the latest app or hack or fancy new time management method. Instead, he dives right into the thorny emotional realities we all face in trying to lead productive, meaningful lives.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to be “indistractable” and how it’s probably the most important skill of the 21st century. We also get Nir’s take on the role of social media in our lives (his views on this might surprise you). And finally, he answers that timeless question: Why don’t we just do what we know we should do?

Enjoy.

About Nir Eyal

Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford.

He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. His books have resonated with readers worldwide, selling over 1 million copies in over 30 languages.

Nir’s book, Indistractable: http://geni.us/indistractable

Nir on time boxing: https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing/

Nir on values: https://www.nirandfar.com/common-values/

Nir’s free schedule maker: https://www.nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/

More articles by Nir: https://www.nirandfar.com/best-articles/

CHAPTERS

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction: The Writing Partnership That Solved Distraction
• 00:02:32 What Is Indistractable? The Skill of the Century
• 00:05:32 Traction vs. Distraction: The Power of Intent
• 00:08:41 Internal Triggers: The Real Source of 90% of Distractions
• 00:10:24 Self-Awareness and the Path to Mastering Internal Triggers
• 00:12:22 Everything You Do Is About Escaping Discomfort
• 00:14:18 Why We Can't Sit Still: The Evolutionary Purpose of Boredom
• 00:16:10 The Goldilocks Zone of Pain and the Recipe for Burnout
• 00:18:27 Make Time for Traction: Why You Can't Call Something a Distraction
• 00:19:56 Time Boxing vs. To-Do Lists: The Productivity Debate
• 00:22:00 Brilliant or Bullshit: The Social Dilemma Documentary
• 00:22:58 The Social Media Debate: It's All Media, Not Just Social Media
• 00:29:47 The Three Psychological Nutrients Kids Are Missing
• 00:32:01 The Real Culprits: Standardized Testing, Hyper-Scheduling, and Lost Play
• 00:34:14 Video Games as Protection and the Myth of Stranger Danger
• 00:38:19 Legacy Media vs. New Media: Who's Really Causing Division?
• 00:42:37 Audience Question: How Do I Do What I Know I Should Do?
• 00:43:43 The Four Strategies in Action: From Internal Triggers to Pacts
• 00:45:06 The Right Metric of Success: Did I Work Without Distraction?
• 00:47:05 Mark's Struggle: Time Boxing vs. Word Count Goals
• 00:49:34 Be a Scientist, Not a Drill Sergeant: Flexibility in Time Boxing
• 00:52:14 Productivity Is Personal: Finding Your Optimal Tools
• 00:53:43 The Problem with Habits and Flow: Not Everything Can Be Easy
• 00:56:37 The 10-Minute Rule: Surfing the Urge to Distraction
• 00:59:03 Wisdom of the Week: The Cure for Boredom and Repeated Mistakes

Follow Nir on social media:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/

https://www.youtube.com/user/nirandfar

https://twitter.com/nireyal

https://www.facebook.com/nirandfar/

http://instagram.com/neyal99

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Theme Song: Icarus Lives by @Periphery , used with permission from Periphery.