Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life

by Nir Eyal

‘It’s a curious truth that when you gently pay attention to negative emotions, they tend to dissipate – but positive ones expand.’6

(Refine):

You can’t call something a distraction unless you know what it is distracting you from. Planning ahead is the only way to know the difference between traction and distraction. • Does your calendar reflect your values? To be the person you want to be, you have to make time to live your values. • Timebox your day. The three life domains of you, relationships and work provide a framework for planning how to spend your time. • Reflect and refine. Revise your schedule regularly, but you must commit to it once it’s set.

so you should never bail on appointments you make with yourself.

Exercise, sleep, eating healthily and time spent reading or listening to an audiobook are all ways to invest in ourselves. Some people value mindfulness, spiritual connection or reflection, and may want time to pray or meditate. Others value skilfulness and want time alone to practise a hobby.

You see where this is leading, don’t you? Once my rumination stopped, so did my sleepless nights. I soon started regularly falling back asleep within minutes.

The one thing we control is the time we put into a task.

certain: I won’t do what I want to do if I’m not in the right place at the right time,

Not showing up guarantees failure.

Schedule time for yourself first. You are at the centre of the three life domains. By not allocating time for yourself, the other two domains suffer. • Show up when you say you will. You can’t always control what you get out of time you spend, but you can control how much time you put into a task. • Input is much more certain than outcome. When it comes to living the life you want, making sure you allocate time to living your values is the only thing you should focus on.