DeepSummary
The podcast begins with Steven Bartlett asking Nir Eyal about how to adopt behavior change, given that our brain often sends cravings or urges that go against our desired behaviors, like avoiding distractions. Nir explains that understanding and mastering these internal triggers is the first step in his four-part model for behavior change.
Nir shares techniques for mastering internal triggers, such as the '10-minute rule' which allows you to delay gratifying a distraction for 10 minutes. He emphasizes the importance of reframing uncomfortable sensations as signs to listen to rather than negative experiences to avoid. The second step is making time for focused work by scheduling and sticking to time blocks.
The third step involves hacking external triggers like notifications and interruptions from colleagues. Nir suggests using artifacts like printed schedules to ensure your priorities align with your manager's expectations. The fourth step, which isn't covered in detail, likely involves sustaining the new habits over time.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Understand and master your internal triggers for distraction by reframing discomfort as a signal to listen to rather than avoid.
- Use the '10-minute rule' to delay gratifying distractions and build self-control.
- Schedule dedicated time blocks for focused work and 'worry time' to process nagging thoughts later.
- Reduce external triggers like notifications and interruptions from colleagues.
- Align your productivity habits with your manager's priorities by schedule syncing.
- View discomfort as a sign you care about something important rather than as purely negative.
- High performers use discomfort as 'rocket fuel' towards their goals rather than escaping it.
- Behaviors aimed at escape rarely provide lasting relief - address the root issue instead.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Time management is pain management. All human behaviors driven by a desire to escape discomfort.“ by Nir Eyal
- “If you can't sit around the table with a friend without looking at your phone every three minutes, it's not the phone. It's your inability to deal with the discomfort of maybe having silence or boredom or whatever else is going on your life.“ by Nir Eyal
- “So when you use this ten minute rule and say, okay, I can give into that distraction in ten minutes from now, what you're doing is you're establishing agency. Right now, you're in control, and we can do anything for ten minutes.“ by Nir Eyal
- “Instead of saying no, what you want to do is to engage your boss in helping you do the one thing that they absolutely have to do as a manager, which is prioritize.“ by Nir Eyal
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Episode Information
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
DOAC
2/16/24
In this moment, behaviour and habit design expert, Ni Eyal discusses how to beat procrastination and distraction. One of the first major steps is being able to master the internal triggers that are trying to pull your attention away. Nir believes that to do this you need to try and understand the underlying feelings behind these urge. As he says, time management is pain management, and all human behaviour is about trying to escape discomfort. Nir says that finding these underlying feelings can be achieved by writing down the sensations you feel just before distraction, this allows you identify them and then reframe them to your advantage. Because, if you don’t master these internal triggers, they become your master. Another major step to beat procrastination is by actually scheduling time to be distracted. Nir calls this ‘The 10 Minute Rule’, which allows you to give in to any distraction in your scheduled time, but only for 10 minutes!
Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/osVkcTMLbHb
Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/%20TheDiaryOfACEO/videos
Nir:
https://www.instagram.com/neyal99/?hl=en
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