In today’s always on and always connected world, the ability to be indistractable is an invaluable superpower.
We formulate our best ideas and produce our best work when we have uninterrupted times of laser focus.
There has been no time in history when it has been easier to be distracted. Many lay the blame at the door of technology and the internet and some argue that a radical approach of digital minimalism is the only solution.
My guest today argues that there is a better, more practical and realistic way to reclaiming our ability to focus.
Nir Eyal is the bestselling author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Nirr has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Design School. He is an active angel investor, has sold two technology companies since 2003 and help teams design more engaging products.
In our discussion Nir explains:
The difference between internal and external distractions
The relationship between traction and distraction
Why technology is not the enemy of focus
Why distraction is in fact pain management
Why satisfaction is necessarily temporary
The importance of identity
Strategies for taking back control and managing distractions
Schedule maker tool: https://nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/
Summary article: https://www.nirandfar.com/skill-of-the-future/
Distraction guide: https://www.nirandfar.com/distractions/
Habits vs routines: https://www.nirandfar.com/habits/
If your listening to this podcast then there’s a good chance you’re interested in improving your performance and achieving your potential. To really be effective at doing so you need a number of things including.
The right strategies, techniques, tools, nutrition and supplements
The ability to monitor progress and measure results; and
A coach to give you feedback and encourage behavioral changes
Until recently the monitoring and measuring has been hit and miss guesswork and a coach is not affordable for many people.
Wearable technology is changing this and enabling people to gain incredible insights into the impact of lifestyle and activities on their physiology and make the necessary changes to be better.
One of the most advanced yet affordable and stylish wearables is the Whoop strap – next generation wearable technology for optimizing human performance.
WHOOP works with professional athletes across every sports league, college athletes across every conference, Olympians and the U.S. military.
I have been wearing the whoop strap for the past year and I am blown away at the usefulness and value of the data that Whoop provides me with on a daily basis.
Amongst its many features are a strain and sleep coach.
There is no one better to interview about all things Whoop than Will Ahmed, the founder and CEO of Whoop.
Will was named a 2011 Harvard College Scholar for finishing in the top 10% of his class, captained the Harvard Men’s Varsity Squash Team and was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 and Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40.
In this interview Will and I discuss:
Since recording this interview, its been publicly announced that Whoop have just raised $55 million dollars from a number of big name investors
This is a major endorsement in Whoop's technology and will no doubt lead to further exciting features and upgrades to the strap.