Indistractable

How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life

Nir Eyal

Book Synopsis

"Indistractable" by Nir Eyal offers a practical guide for individuals seeking to overcome distraction in an increasingly distracting world. Drawing upon scientific research and personal experiences, Eyal presents a four-step framework to help readers build healthier habits, focus on what truly matters, and regain control of their attention.

Beginning with the root causes of distractions, Eyal examines the external triggers that prompt us to veer off course and the internal triggers that lead us towards distractions. By understanding these triggers, readers can learn to master them rather than being controlled by them.

Eyal offers insights on how to make time for what truly matters by employing techniques such as timeboxing – scheduling specific blocks of time for focused work and planning ahead. Readers are also introduced to the role of traction, or positive actions that align with one's values and goals, as a defense mechanism against distraction.

Moreover, Eyal delves into the importance of mastering the art of "hackbacks" – techniques to counter external distractions and protect one's attention. This includes implementing healthy boundaries and filters to create an environment that fosters focus and productivity.

The book also addresses the impact of technology on distraction and provides practical techniques for managing technology without succumbing to its constant pull. By gaining control over devices and employing tactics such as using pacts and precommitments, individuals can regain their attention and use technology intentionally.

Eyal emphasizes the significance of building a supportive network to bolster one's efforts in becoming indistractable. He explores the role of social influence and how to choose relationships that align with one's goals, values, and interests.

Throughout "Indistractable," Eyal presents actionable strategies, insightful anecdotes, and real-world examples that empower readers to break free from distractions and live more fulfilling, focused lives. The book serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to reclaim their attention, increase their productivity, and ultimately, to find more joy and fulfillment in their everyday experiences.

Explore More Books

See All
Well
Toussaint Louverture
Diaspora
Six Easy Pieces
Kingpin
The Undoing Project
Wake Up to the Joy of You
Carry on, Jeeves
Kelly
Where Mountains Roar
Where Wizards Stay Up Late
Uncommon Measure
One Hundred Years of Solitude
The Right Call
Crossing the Chasm
Anthropic Bias
Intellectuals and Race
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
From Headless Chicken to Golden Goose
Talent
Forged in Crisis
The Viral Storm
Tent Life in Siberia
Lying
Essays and Lectures
The French Revolution and What Went Wrong
Diffusion of Innovations
Steve Jobs & The NeXT Big Thing
The Plant Paradox
The Kite Runner
The Origin of Wealth
How Nature Works
On The Move
Scale
Little Leaders
Fahrenheit 451
Burn
King, Warrior, Magician, Lover
The Dragons of Eden
Law, Legislation, and Liberty
The Closing of the American Mind
Fortune's Formula
How Will You Measure Your Life?
Shantaram
Architects of the Web
The Innovators Dilemma
The Great Revolt
Diaminds
Our Final Invention
Layered Money
The Marked Children
On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right When You're Not
The Fabric of Reality
Right Thing, Right Now
The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All
Mohammed and Charlemagne
The Ambiguities of Experience
Failing Forward
Total Freedom
The Hunger Games
Academically Adrift
American Exceptionalism
The Red Queen
Educated
Leadership the Outward Bound Way
Pandemic 1918
The Persian Expedition
Simple Rules
Empire
The Dog Stars
Dynasty
Competing in the Age of AI
More Heat Than Light
The Course of Love
A Mathematician's Lament
Waking Up
The Back of the Napkin
Glass
Masters of Doom
Success
The Coming Wave
Exponential Organizations
Pasture Perfect
The Robotics Primer
The Martians of Science
This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends
Rainbows End
Obsession
The Compleat Strategyst
All The Light We Cannot See
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln
The Passage of Power
Eating The Big Fish
Plants of the Gods
The Accidental Universe
Permaculture: A Designer's Manual
Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar
The Man Who Knew Infinity
Ordinary Men