The 3 Kinds Of Distractions (And How To Avoid Them)
Proven rituals to help you do your best work every day.
In the industrial era, productivity got measured by the quantum of work done. In the knowledge era, productivity gets measured by results. The more useful your output is for your employer, client, or audience, the more valuable you are.
The best results today come from “deep work”. Cal Newport defines this concept as work done in a state of flow that stretches your cognitive capabilities, creates value, and is hard to replicate. Digital tools have made it easier for us to achieve this. We can collaborate with people, improve our skills, and increase the reach of our work.
Unfortunately, the same tools and people that empower us to do our best work also get in the way of doing it. Interruptions and distractions that should be avoided have instead become an integral part of our lives.
According to Nir Eyal, distraction is any activity that pulls us away from what we intend to do. We intend to draft a thoughtful memo on recruiting new hires, refine the existing strategy to increase traction for our product, or write a book manuscript. But we get sucked into the endless loop of emails, texts, meetings, and urgent but unimportant tasks.
