Overcoming Distractions

How much time did you spend watching TikTok or Reels today? Two or three hours? That's a distraction.

You unknowingly force yourself to watch short videos that make you forget your goals and tasks. You decide to enjoy scrolling endlessly, expecting to watch something new when you scroll. While the platform learns what you like and gives you exactly that, you become hooked.

As a user experience designer myself, I sometimes have to design things that manipulate users' psychology. All technology companies are after your attention. More attention means more views, more time spent on the platform, more ad reach, and more revenue. I'm not immune to these tactics.

Distracted are frequent and common. Research suggests that:

• People lose an average of 2.1 hours per day to distractions.
• The average time spent on a task before getting distracted is 11 minutes.
• It takes 25 minutes to return to a task after a disruption.

So, the real question is: how can we be less distracted?

It's hard, and we can never be entirely distraction-free unless we start living in the forest. People, companies, and technologies want us to be distracted so we can focus on what they're manipulating us to do.

Identify your distractions!

The first step to reducing distractions is to identify your distraction patterns and the things around you that distract you. Write them down somewhere. Ironically, you may even get distracted from writing down your distractions.

Here are some common distractions:

• Social media
• Regrets
• Toxic relationships
• The pursuit of perfection
• The promise of tomorrow
• Multitasking
• Technology

How many of these do you have? I'm sure you have at least three of them. Don't feel guilty or ashamed. We all choose to do things, even when there are interruptions everywhere.

Here's how I get distracted:

When I'm trying to design something, I usually search online for inspiration. While I'm searching, I have other tabs open in my browser, like YouTube and Facebook. And guess what? I unintentionally open them and start watching YouTube videos on "10 Tips to Be Productive at Work." Really?

I'm sure you can relate to this. Distractions are everywhere, and they can be very tempting. But it's important to remember that we're in control of our own choices. If we want to be more productive, we need to be more mindful of our distractions and choose to avoid them.

Make things Unreachable

We tend to use and notice things that are closer to us. For example, if you keep your phone right next to your desk, you are more likely to check it, even if you don't have any notifications. This is because our brains are wired to pay attention to things that are in our immediate vicinity.

One way to reduce distractions is to make the things that distract you more difficult to reach. For example, you could put your phone in another room when you're working on a task. Or, if you find yourself getting distracted by social media, you could block distracting websites using a website blocker.

Here are some other tips for making things unreachable:

• Turn off your phone notifications.
• Close any unnecessary tabs on your computer.
• Work in a quiet place where you won't be interrupted by people or noises.
• Keep distracting objects out of sight.

It may be difficult at first, but the more you make things unreachable, the easier it will become to focus on your work.

One Distraction to rule them all

It may seem odd, but one way to reduce distractions is to choose one distraction and stick with it. This may seem counterintuitive, but it can actually help you to focus better.

When you have multiple distractions, your brain is constantly switching back and forth between them. This can be very tiring and can make it difficult to focus on any one task. But when you have only one distraction, your brain can focus on your task and ignore the distraction.

Of course, the distraction you choose should be something that you can easily ignore. For example, if you find yourself getting distracted by music, you could choose to listen to instrumental music or music in a language that you don't understand. Or, if you find yourself getting distracted by social media, you could choose to use a website blocker to block distracting websites.

So, I believe most of us prefer Music while working, right? Now you know why.

Digital Minimalism

Digital minimalism is a lifestyle approach that encourages individuals to intentionally reduce digital clutter and distractions. It is a great way to reduce distracted, as there will be less to distract you.

For example, you can uninstall apps from your phone that you unknowingly use. Having all social media apps and many games on your phone significantly increases the chances of using them. You can also use digital minimalism to organize your photos, drives, videos, and documents.

Here are some tips for practicing digital minimalism:

• Identify your digital clutter. What apps, websites, and devices do you use that you don't really need or enjoy?
• Delete or uninstall unnecessary apps and websites. Limit your time on social media and other distracting websites.
• Turn off notifications for apps that you don't need to be notified about.
• Set aside specific times for checking email and social media.
• Create a digital detox routine. This could involve turning off your devices for a certain amount of time each day or week.

Digital minimalism can be challenging at first, but it is worth it in the long run. When you reduce your digital distractions, you will have more time and energy for the things that are important to you.

If you are interested in learning more about digital minimalism, I recommend the book Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport.

Time Management

You really need to be aware of your time. Normally, being distracted costs us time, which is the most valuable thing in life. You cannot spend two hours watching meaningless short videos or trendy stuff.

I have a simple rule for time management: GPT, which stands for Goal > Project > Task. Only make time for tasks that are aligned with your goal. Everything else is a waste of time. We will explore this concept more deeply in Chapter 8. Basically, it means identifying tasks that will help you achieve your goal.

Here are some tips for following the GPT rule:

• Define your goals. What do you want to achieve in life? What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• Break down your goals into projects. Once you know what you want to achieve, break it down into smaller, more manageable projects.
• Identify the tasks that need to be completed for each project. Once you have a list of projects, identify all of the tasks that need to be completed for each one.
• Prioritize your tasks. Not all tasks are created equal. Some tasks are more important and urgent than others. Prioritize your tasks so that you are working on the most important things first.
• Schedule your tasks. Once you have prioritized your tasks, schedule them into your calendar. This will help you to stay on track and make progress towards your goals.