Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal
BOOK REVIEWS BY BINOD
BINOD’S RATING: 6.5/10When I was the MD of a small training company, there were two standing orders on the use of Smartphones. One was that no one should bring their phones into a meeting and if they did, they couldn’t check it while the meeting was in progress. The second was that no student should check their pones during class (they had breaks) and if they did, I would call them out.
The reason was simple. Getting distracted like this is not just insulting to your colleagues/trainer, it’s also hugely unproductive.
We are all living through a massive crisis of distraction. Plans get sidetracked, friends are ignored, work never seems to get done.
In Indistractable, Nir Eyal shows what life could look like if you followed through on your intentions by pointing out, inter alia, the hidden psychology driving you to distraction.
“Most people don’t want to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that distraction is always an unhealthy escape from reality.”
Key points
There are really two parts to this book.
The first part tells you about the problem. It presents original research and tons of interesting material about distraction, the nature of it, and why the human condition tends toward distraction. Good research and good writing, which gives us a number of clues as to how we can fight distraction or at least learn to live with it and keep it out of the way. The second part is actionable advice, some new and some more on the classic side.
The core of the book discusses the key methods of becoming Indistractable:
Master INTERNAL Triggers: To master internal triggers, learn how to deal with discomfort, observe urges and allow them to dissolve, and reimagine the trigger or task.
Make time for TRACTION: To make time for traction, turn your values into time, schedule time for yourself and important relationships, and sync your calendar with stakeholders.
Hack Back EXTERNAL Triggers: To hack back external triggers, defend your focus, send fewer emails, get in and out of group chats at scheduled times, and turn off desktop and mobile notifications.
Prevent DISTRACTION with Pacts: To prevent distractions with pacts, plan for when you’re likely to get distracted, make unwanted behaviors more difficult, and call yourself “indistractable.”
Eyal goes into concepts such as understanding your values and whether your calendar reflects those values. Turning your values into time becomes really important and you then control the inputs and not the outcomes
Not surprisingly given his background, Eyal recommends a variety of technology-based interventions, arguing that we can use our devices and their applications to counteract the very distractions they would otherwise present.
He also explores non-technological interventions, such as precommitments and effort pacts. You make a more or less formal commitment to do/not do something, with the idea that this will give you impetus to make improvements (which in Eyal’s case consisted of agreeing to pay his friend $10,000 if he didn’t finish Indistractable on time). Verdicts are mixed on this; it works for some people, not as much for others.
Some of the smarter tips that I liked in the book:
Identify and write down your distraction triggers.
Hack back your email by sending fewer emails, set office hours for email, unsubscribe, answer in batches (stop constant rechecking), answer faster/shorter
Schedule (timebox) time for social media; check only during scheduled time
Kill push notifications, especially sounds
Avoid the online article rabbit hole. Save for later (there's an app for that).
Skip the social media feeds completely (there's an app for that too)
Make precommitments and effort pacts (yep there are apps for that!)
In most modern workplaces (open offices), people do not realize if and when someone is trying to engage in deep work so everyone interrupts everyone else. What if we could clearly indicate to people walking around that we are in deep work mode and would like to be left alone by having a big sign that says exactly that.
We often blame technology for distraction. However, because all human behavior is motivated by the desire to minimize discomfort, the “root cause” of distraction therefore lies within us. Technology, by contrast, is merely a “proximate cause”. If we don’t deal with the root causes, we’ll continue to find ways to distract ourselves and will remain “helpless victims in a tragedy of our own creation”. On the other hand, if we do acknowledge that distraction originates inside ourselves, we can take steps to become indistractable and ultimately live the lives we want.
There is nothing really new in this book. But reading it will give you the chance to reflect on how you prioritize your life, how you get distracted, and how you will refocus on what matters.
“If you care about your work, your family, and your physical and mental well-being, you must learn how to become indistractable”
What I liked
The book is easy and enjoyable to read. The chapters are short, the messages are clear, the language is plain.
It will give you a lot of insight into the nature of distraction.
It will give you a shipload of ideas and techniques to help you avoid distraction
Eyal “gives permission” to spend time on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube etc., as long as it is what you planned to do. To quote Eyal, distraction isn’t distraction unless you know what it distracts you from. In other words, anything you do is a potential distraction unless you know what, why and when you are doing it.
Contrary to what I expected, Eyal doesn't completely blame technology for all our distraction problems and the negative consequences they cause. He explains the underlying issue and notes that if you don't take care of that root cause, you'll simply find something else to distract you (even without the tech).
Although this is not a book about fitness, as a long-time fitness addict, I appreciated Eyal's occasional fitness reference (and I was impressed by his story of how he gained 12 pounds of muscle)
Each chapter has a short summary that consists of three-four bullet points. Also, Eyal copied all the “Remember this” lists at the end of the book.
Eyal also suggests apps that can help with each suggestion although I only use apps if absolutely necessary and hence found his advice far less helpful.
What I didn’t like
A lot of these tips are common sense like blocking out time for activity on a calendar or deleting distracting apps. Nothing original.
There was a bunch of stuff in the book that didn't apply to me because I'm self-employed and also don't have the usual baggage of wife and kids
Could it be condensed down to a much shorter version and make the same points? Like every self-help book, emphatically yes.
“In the future, there will be two kinds of people in the world: those who let their attention and lives be controlled and coerced by others and those who proudly call themselves “indistractable.”
Conclusion
The idea is to live a fulfilling life by becoming aware and controlling both the internal and external triggers that constantly bombard you.
I recommend this book for anyone who finds themselves distracted. I think everyone could benefit from this book.
The real question is, do you actually apply the advice or just listen to it?
PS- if you like this topic, you must read Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear. Possibly the best book I’ve read on the topic of self-management.