Business
Highlights0:01- The problem is no longer that we don't know what to do. The problem is we don't know how to stop getting in our own way. We don't know how to stop getting distracted.0:09- Conventional wisdom turns out not only to be wrong but turns out to be actually harmful.0:13- And so this is why our self-image is so important that if we believe that we are limited in one way or another, we will act according to those beliefs.0:23- This is called learned helplessness. And so that's what we need to understand that the way we talk to ourselves, the way we imagine and perceive our temperament around our limitations, is incredibly important0:38- Again, you can't call something a distraction unless you know what it distracted you from(1:09) Introduction:Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business.Nir previously taught as a lecturer in marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, Nir co-founded and sold two tech companies since 2003. And was dubbed by MIT Technology Review as the profit of habit-forming technology. He's the author of two best-selling books. Hooked: How to build habit-forming products and Indistractable- how to control your attention and choose your life. Indistractable, received critical acclaim winning outstanding works of literature, literature OWL Award as well as being named one of the best business and leadership books of the year by Amazon, and one of the best personal development books of the year by Audible. The Globe and Mail called indestructible, the best business book of 2019. In addition to blogging at nirandfar.com, Nir’s writing has been featured in the New York Times, the Harvard Business Review, Time magazine, and psychology today. Nir is also an active investor in habit-forming technologies.Some of his past investments include event pride anchor.fm, which was acquired by Spotify, Canva refresh.io, which was acquired by LinkedIn product and Marco Polo presence learning, seven cups, and many more. Nir has attended Stanford Graduate School of Business and Emory University.(2:55)So tell us a little bit about your new book Indistractable, how did it come about and what is the theme of this book?(3:04) The book Indistractable is about Nir's struggle with distraction. There was one moment in his life that made him reevaluate his relationship with it. He shares that experience that made him realize how distracted he must have been while eating or even while working on a task. Nir says the problem is no longer that we don't know what to do. The problem is we don't know how to stop getting in our own way. We don't know how to stop getting distracted. He shares how he was able to figure out the solution to prevent getting distracted after immersing himself in studying psychology.(6:25)You do very thorough research on every topic that you undertake. So tell us about that, like, you know, how do you come up with that process? How do you even start researching this, if nobody has done a good enough job of doing this, you're breaking new ground? How do you go about doing all this?(6:57) Nir says that to him every book starts with a personal problem. He shares that it’s the reason why he loves his job, as he can look at all that great academic research that's been done. Nir believes that it's about a problem that he’s having. He shares that we have a lot of problems out there that we don't know how to solve. The first step is introspection. Are you aware of what you need to do in order to get what you want? Then, if you can't find the answer, you can search for it online or in books, or ask other people who have experience in this field. If you still can't get a solution, you can always go deep into the research.(9:17)Can you give us a little bit of a preview of what you found in this research? And what are some of the challenges people face while getting distracted? (9:57) Nir wants people to know that he didn't write the book because he mastered distraction, but he wrote this book because he needed to master distractions, as he has always struggled with self-control and willpower. He says that there’s a lot of misinformation about willpower out there. Nir says that conventional wisdom turns out not only to be wrong but turns out to be actually harmful. Nir shares that first we need to understand what distraction is. He says that the opposite of distraction is traction. Traction is any action that moves you towards your goal or intent. And the opposite of that is a distraction. He explains how we can actually have more and better traction and not be distracted by every shiny object that comes in our way. He shares four steps to being Indistractable. (18:42)What were the results? You obviously did all this research, you adopted, you went through with this with the, with the 1000s of people? What kind of results did they achieve? What kind of successes do they have? What kind of time did they save using these techniques?(19:24) Nir Eyal mentions that it took years of research to figure out what techniques were truly effective. Nir says he uses meta-studies to show this study is a well-established technique, it's been replicated time and time again, that's good research versus some techniques that are pretty bogus. He mentions a book named Mindset by Carol Dweck which is about ego depletion. Nir says that our self-image is so important that if we believe that we are limited in one way or another, we will act according to those beliefs. Nir says that people are getting distracted by technology, not addicted. And that's a very big difference. He further explains why it is so. He also explains the term learned helplessness. He says it is important to understand that the way we talk to ourselves about our limitations influences the way we behave around them.(23:57)So what in your opinion, is going to happen with the level of productivity and with the level of distraction that people are experiencing in these changing environments during pandemics and lockdown?(24:24) Nir shares his experience while stating that there are so many new questions now that raise the anxiety and fear level. So the more internal triggers you have, the more you need to practice dealing with them, or else you're going to give in. Nir mentions what all has changed after the pandemic. He explains that this is why some people got more productive during the lockdown and some got less productive because they are so stressed, anxious, and worried. He says that we don't have a structure anymore and home and work have blended. But it doesn't have to be that way. Nir says it's about making time for an attraction that you can't call something a distraction. Nir says you can't call something a distraction unless you know what it distracted you from. (28:19)So it seems like you know, your book is even more important right now for people to read and incorporate into their lives because of what they're going through right now. And so how should one go about it? Like should they get your book habit first and then go to indistractable? Indistractable and then go to have it? What is the sequence?(28:50) Nir's first book was about how to build habit-forming products about how to use technology to improve people's lives by building healthy habits. That book came out six years ago and has been used in every conceivable industry, from healthcare to education, to help people build good habits in their lives through technology. If you're an entrepreneur with a business, and if you want to build habits for your product, then this would be the book for you about how to build habit-forming products. The second book can be especially helpful if you have trouble getting work done or focusing on the right things. Nir recommends indistractable for everyone because it lets you focus on the important things. (29:55)As we are going through these huge shifts as you can imagine, certain sectors of the economy will be affected to a great deal. So what do you think will happen? In your view, how do you think things will unfold for people? Do you think people will gravitate towards more entrepreneurship rather than regular work-from-home jobs? Or what are the kinds of shifts you foresee as we go through this experience?(30:43) Nir says he is pretty optimistic. He thinks it really depends on whether this is a long-term change or a short-term change. Nir appreciates the technology that enabled us to work from home during the pandemic which was impossible if these apps like zoom weren’t there. Nir thinks that in many ways the pandemic has pushed people to try new technologies that will benefit us in the long run. This new technology, which will thrive in years to come, will provide tons of opportunities for entrepreneurs to create new businesses.(33:10)So how was, how's the socially distant economy affecting relationships? And once we incorporate the techniques that you're sharing, how does it help human relationships, because productivity in work is one thing, but you know, we also get distracted while maintaining these important relationships?(33:38) Nir says that half of the book is about how you can become indistractable and the other half is about how your environment shapes your behaviors and relationships. It is about how to raise indistractable kids, how to have an indestructible workplace, and finally, how to have indistracible relationships. He shares his personal experience of realizing how he wasn’t spending time with his loved ones and how he changed by applying these techniques to become indistractable once he realized that he was being distracted which was the problem, the technology was not to blame. Resources: nirandfar.comツ CONNECT WITH ME ツLeave a comment on this video and it'll get a response. Or you can connect with me on different social platforms too:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manujaggarwal/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manujagro/ • Website: https://manujaggarwal.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.