Distractions are nothing new. They have been standing in the way of success and progress for millennia. Ancient philosophers in the West (i.e. Markus Aurelius, Seneca) and in the East (i.e. Laozi, D.T. Suziki) have fought distraction as fervently as the New Age philosophers (i.e. Ryan Holiday, Tim Ferris, Charles Duhigg). The difference between now and then is the sheer amount of available distractions. You can always reach out to your phone and review the social media updates instead of doing deliberate work. You can always turn on the TV instead of staying connected with yourself in silence. And, of course, you can always call a meeting to discuss a topic at work instead of thinking about it.
I recently read a book called “Indistractable” (link to Goodreads) by Nir Eyal. And I decided to post my thoughts on the topic, influenced by this book, but also by a few others – Good to Great, Grit, The Power of Habit, Flow, as well as my own experience over the years. In this article I will share my tools for avoiding distractions so that you can put deliberate practice to work for you and for your success (or what Nir Eyal calls traction).
Continue reading “Deliberate Thought Against Distraction”