Indistractable

I re-read Indistractable by Nir Eyal because I realised I did not remember any of the concepts from the book from the first time I read using Audible. This time, I made sure to make notes. I found a lot of similarities in writing with Atomic Habits. The main concept in the book is that nothing is a distraction if it is planned. You are distracted only if you are not doing something which you said you would, either to yourself or to others. Scrolling through social media in its designated/planned time period is not a distraction.

Habits replacement

Getting rid of a distracting habit will only work if you replace it with a pre-planned activity. Otherwise, the removed habit might be replaced by a different habit that might not serve your cause.

Internal Trigger (Indistractable Model - Aspect 1)

As much as notifications on phone are to be blamed, they are easy to remove. However, the important step is to identify and remove internal triggers. "Unless we deal with the root causes of our distraction, we’ll continue to find ways to distract ourselves."

Set aside time for Traction (Indistractable Model - Aspect 2)

Deliberatly plan the work you want to do. Otherwise, you will procrastinate forever.

External Trigger (Indistractable Model - Aspect 3)

Examples include notifications on phone, advertisements, etc.

Liminal Moments

Liminal moments are transition periods between things. I find I am looking at Instagram while a page loads on my laptop. A few minutes later, I am still scrolling through social media even after the page on my laptop is ready for me. Be aware of Liminal moments.

10 minute rule

A solution proposed in the book - If you want to scroll through social media at any time, tell yourself it is okay to go through the app but after 10 minutes.

Gamification

Play need not be pleasurable. It just needs to define the rule clearly. Setting yourself a timer for 20 minutes to get an important work done will not reduce the pain of doing the work, but it can free us from the discomfort that was causing procrastination.

Fogg Behavior Model

The Fogg Behavior Model states that for a behavior (B) to occur, three things must be present at the same time: motivation (M), ability (A), and a trigger (T). More succinctly, B = MAT. Ensure that when you are trying to cultivate a new habit, these three necessities are fulfilled.

Precommitment

Precommitment can work only after the three aspects of Indistractable model are covered.

Price pact

You will lose money if you do not do something you said you will do.

Effort pact

Make it difficult for you to fall back into the habit you want to stop.

Macronutrients for the psyche

Just as the human body requires three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) to run properly, the human psyche needs three things to flourish: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Create rituals to establish these aspects in your lives.