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by
Nir Eyal
Read between
October 28 - November 15, 2021
Some forms of multichannel multitasking pair particularly well together.
leveraging a behavior we want to do can help us do things we know we should do.
temptation bundling” and can be used whenever we want to use the rewards from one behavior to incentivize another.
Multichannel multitasking is an underutilized tactic for getting more out of each day. We can build this technique into our schedules to help us make more time for traction and use temptation bundling to make activities, like exercising, more enjoyable.
Chapter 21 Hack Back Feeds
Social media is a particularly devilish source of distraction; sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit are designed to spawn external triggers—news, updates, and notifications galore.
News Feed Eradicator for Facebook does exactly what it says; it eliminates the source of countless alluring external triggers and replaces them with an inspirational quote.
Todobook replaces the Facebook News Feed with the user’s to-do list. Instead of scrolling the feed, we see tasks that we planned to do for the day, and only when we’ve completed our to-do list does the News Feed unlock.
I allocate time on my calendar to check Facebook almost every day, but without the unwanted external triggers in the News Feed to tempt me down a rabbit hole of frivolity; I’m in and out in less than fifteen minutes.
instead of eradicating the feed, I simply take charge of the exact URL when I visit the site, making sure I choose a destination with fewer external triggers likely to distract me.
By avoiding the feed, I’m much more likely to use social media mindfully while still allowing time to connect with others proactively.
I have time reserved in my timeboxed calendar to indulge in YouTube videos, and I love it! But rather than mindlessly viewing the next recommended video or clicking on yet another enticing suggestion, I use some hacks of my own to make sure I only watch videos I’d planned to see.
Regardless of the exact tool we choose, the key is to regain control over our experiences rather than allowing the social networks to control our time and attention.
Part 4 Prevent Distraction with Pacts
Chapter 22 The Power of Precommitments
What these creative professionals understand is that focus not only requires keeping distraction out; it also necessitates keeping ourselves in.
the last step to becoming indistractable involves preventing ourselves from sliding into distraction.
we must learn a powerful technique called a “precommitment,” which involves removing a future choice in order to overcome our impulsivity.
A “Ulysses pact” is defined as “a freely made decision that is designed and intended to bind oneself in the future,” and is a type of precommitment we still use today.
The most effective time to introduce a precommitment is after we’ve addressed the first three aspects of the Indistractable Model.
Precommitments are the last line of defense preventing us from sliding into distraction.
Chapter 23 Prevent Distraction with Effort Pacts
an effort pact—a kind of precommitment that involves increasing the amount of effort required to perform an undesirable action.
An effort pact prevents distraction by making unwanted behaviors more difficult to do.
effort pacts are not limited to those we make with ourselves; another highly effective way to forge them involves making pacts with other people.
Effort pacts make us less likely to abandon the task at hand. Whether we make them with friends and colleagues, or via tools like Forest, SelfControl, Focusmate, or kSafe, effort pacts are a simple yet highly effective way to keep us from getting distracted.
Chapter 24 Prevent Distraction with Price Pacts
A price pact is a type of precommitment that involves putting money on the line to encourage us to do what we say we will.
“people are typically more motivated to avoid losses than to seek gains.” Losing hurts more than winning feels good.
a price pact binds us to action by attaching a price to distraction. But a price pact need not be limited to smoking cessation, weight loss, or fitness goals;
A price pact is effective because it moves the pain of losing to the present moment, as opposed to a far-off future.
To experience the best results with price pacts, we need to be aware of and plan for their pitfalls:
PITFALL 1: PRICE PACTS AREN’T GOOD AT CHANGING BEHAVIORS WITH EXTERNAL TRIGGERS YOU CAN’T ESCAPE
Price pacts only work when you can tune out or turn off the external triggers.
PITFALL 2: PRICE PACTS SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR SHORT TASKS
If we are bound by a pact for too long, we begin to associate it with punishment, which can spawn counterproductive effects, such as resentment of the task or goal.
PITFALL 3: ENTERING A PRICE PACT IS SCARY
Expect some trepidation when entering into a price pact, but do it anyway.
PITFALL 4: PRICE PACTS AREN’T FOR PEOPLE WHO BEAT THEMSELVES UP
It’s critical to know how to bounce back from failure—as we learned in chapter eight, responding to setbacks with self-compassion instead of self-criticism is the way to get back on track.
When used in the right way, price pacts can be a highly effective way to stay focused on a difficult task by assigning a cost to distraction.
Chapter 25 Prevent Distraction with Identity Pacts
One of the most effective ways to change our behavior is to change our identity.
slight alterations in the way we see ourselves can have a dramatic effect on our future actions.
Our self-image has a sizable impact on our behavior and has implications well beyond the voting booth. Identity is another cognitive shortcut that helps our brains make otherwise difficult choices in advance, thereby streamlining decision-making.
Our perception of who we are changes what we do.
To leverage the power of identity to prevent distraction, we can enter into what I call an “identity pact,” which is a precommitment to a self-image that helps us pursue what we really want.
By aligning our behaviors to our identity, we make choices based on who we believe we are.
By thinking of yourself as indistractable, you empower yourself through your new identity.
Telling others about your new identity is a great way to solidify your pact.
