431: Align Your Calendar to What Matters, with Nir Eyal

Nir Eyal: Indistractable

Nir Eyal is one of the most respected experts on the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. The MIT Technology Review has called him, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.”

He previously authored the Wall Street Journal bestseller Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products* which received tremendous traction in the technology and entrepreneurial communities. Now, he’s turned his attention to how we can control our attention in a world of complexity.

His new book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life*, challenges some of the traditional misconceptions about distractions. In this conversation, Nir and I discuss the practical steps on how to align your calendar with what matters most.

Key Points

• Being a professional is doing what you say you’re going to do.
• Most people don’t know what they are going to do. Research shows only a third of Americans keep a daily schedule.
• If you don’t plan your time, someone else will plan it for you.
• Look to executive leaders for inspiration on being intentional with time.
• Move away from the to-do list and instead begin the discipline of timeboxing your calendar.

Resources Mentioned

• Resources Nir mentioned in our conversation
• Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life* by Nir Eyal

Book Notes

Download my highlights from Indistractable in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

• Getting Things Done, with David Allen (episode 184)
• How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, with Mark Barden (episode 207)
• The Way to Stop Spinning Your Wheels on Planning (episode 319)

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