Be Indistractable

“How to master the skill of the century.”

The year 2019 has just begun and as do many of us, I went about making my New Year’s resolution to implement new habits and strategies that will help organize my personal and professional life. Thanks Netflix for introducing Marie Kondo into our lives with the Tidying Up series. After binge watching the show, I was on a tidying spree ‘KonMari-ing’ away everything around me to have a tidy and organized life.

However, I wondered if I could gain this traction into my work life. I found the perfect opportunity and attended a workshop hosted by Women In Product on ‘How to be Indistractable by Nir Eyal’. It was an absolute pleasure to learn and gain insights from Nir on how to optimize your day at the office while being productive and managing your time effectively with technology.

Indistractable: How to Master the Skill of the Century by Nir Eyal — Mind the Product

A phrase that resonates with me from his presentation is —

“We must try to understand the discomfort we are trying to escape”

Photo taken during the WIP event at Grubhub, New York City on January 23rd 2019.

Here are the key takeaways and a few inputs of my own:

1. Outsource or automate mundane tasks: All those boring repetitive tasks like scheduling meetings, exchanging emails back and forth around scheduling can be automated by using tools like x.ai
2. Short-term goals: Set a goal and plan to accomplish them for the day and for the week. It will help keep you on track for your long term goals and major milestone.
3. Schedule time boxes on your calendar: Block time off on your calendar into categories for e.g., to focus on high priority tasks, set aside time for lunches and for that “I’m in the zone” mode. This allows you to manage your time effectively and be more productive.
4. Do Not Disturb: Put a sign board at your desk while you are working on any important task. Yes! I’m serious but do consult with your manager first. Most people will respect your time and space. A sign board or stick note indicates to your co-workers that you don’t want to be disturbed at the moment. Some of us do use our headphones to drown out noise but that doesn’t stop Chatty Cathy from grabbing your attention for some “small talk”.
5. Productivity cohorts: Use virtual or in-person co-working tools like Focusmate or CaveDay that pairs you up with peers. The end goal here is to hold each other accountable to get things done.
6. Use tech to block tech: Ironically, there are many apps that help you put your phone down. iOS 12 has a new feature called Screen Time Control that allows you to schedule and limit time for the various apps you use. You can also turn off all notifications that trigger distractions on your phone’s lock screen. If you want to take it to an extreme then do try apps like the Forest, SelfControl and TimeGuard

Credits to Nir Eyal and Women in Product.