the opposite of distraction isn’t focus it’s traction. traction means you’re moving towards your goal. distraction means the opposite.

anything you do with intent is reaction. anything you do without intent is distraction.

the most tempting task is often the easy / urgent-seeming one vs the hard / important one.

90% of distraction begins from feelings within (not external cues) — boredom, loneliness, fatigue, anxiety, etc.

framework: master internal triggers, make time for traction, hack back external triggers, prevent distraction with pacts.

our problem is our inability to deal with discomfort. it is important to identify those feelings.

when you’re tempted to do something distracting set a timer for 10 minutes to continue to do the task at hand. prove to yourself that you have agency. technology does not steal our focus. we give it away.

time box every task for the day. do not change the calendar intraday. set it the day before.

there is reactive work and reflective work where you do deep work.

book deep work blocks on your calendar that no one can schedule over.

procrastination is an emotion regulation problem.

neurologically everything humans do is for the avoidance of discomfort.

do deep work in the morning and meetings in the afternoon.

has outlet timer to shut off wifi every night at 10pm.

willpower is not a finite resource.

distraction is a symptom of dysfunction.

culture is like water, it flows downhill.

at slack headquarters there is a big sign that says work hard and go home.

managers should help direct reports prioritize every week. synchronizing schedules is key.

a to do list is just a snapshot of outputs. we need inputs for those which are time and attention. we need to think about the inputs and the relationship, not just the outputs.