Can you imagine what it would feel like to follow through with your intentions? In the book, Indistractable by Nir Eyal, the author maps out a four step process which he calls the Indistractable model to help readers achieve their goals. We need to realize our distractions all come from somewhere inside of us. There are benefits to planning our days, weeks, months with intention. We cannot do our best work, if we are constantly distracted or fighting external triggers. When we are the most likely to be distracted, we can plan ahead using pacts to help curb unwanted behavior.
By setting goals that align with our life’s purpose, discovering our values behind existing goals and making time to live up to those values, we will be better able to achieve our goals. In the chapter Turn Your Values Into Time, Eyal states, “Instead of starting with what we’re going to do, we should begin with why we are going to do it”.
We need to ask ourselves why it is we want to do the things on our to-do list. If we align our tasks with our values, then it will help create what the author calls traction, meaning anything that moves us towards our goals. In the article The Difference Between Goals and Values and Why Both Matter by Lori Eisner, PhD, she states, “values are like a compass that keep us headed in a desired direction and are distinct from goals.
Goals are the specific ways you intend to execute your values”. There is a difference between values and goals, but knowing what you value helps put more meaning into your goals. Writing has always been an important part of my life. As a child, I wrote stories which helped cope with my difficult upbringing.
As an adult, I started a journal writing habit to help me deal with the stress of my every day life. Reading Indistractable has led me to ask myself many questions about my writing practice and how it aligns with my values. What is most important to me? Truth, authenticity and self-expression are some of the things I value most.
Looking at my goal from this perspective has given me the desire to ‘turn my values into time” by first taking a look what I do with my time every day. Eyal states, “the next step is to find ways to make traction more likely, starting with how we spend our time”. Taking a look out how we spend our time can help us move along on our journey.
Once I decided to attend Las Positas College and start working my goal, I began to research monthly and daily planners online to find one that suits my needs. I came across the Clever Fox Planner Pro. This planner includes monthly spreads with monthly and life balance goals. The included weekly spreads focus on a plan for the week, daily priorities, a habit tracker, weekly goals, personal and work to-do list and a weekly reflection.
There are additional pages at the beginning of the planner that help you map out long term goals by taking more manageable steps instead of looking at the end result. At first, I filled the planner out at the end of the day with what I did that day. I wrote out the habit tracker with the habits I would like to have and marked off any completed activities at the end of the day.
My idea was to track my behavior to see what I was doing and why before I started to implement change. After a few weeks, I took a tally of the desirable and undesirable. Once I was able to see where my time was going, it gave me a better idea of where I needed to make changes. I’ve been using this planner to help map out my goals, track my habits and manage my time.
I’ve filled in time gaps in the planner to increase productivity, plotted out time to study and have now included time to write. I’ve also created writing goals in the front pages of the planner and have started mapping out how to get to where I want to be. Getting in touch with the values behind my goal has given me more motivation to achieve them by paying more attention to how I spend my time and by mapping out my days, weeks and months.
Stopping external triggers before they happen is a great way to move towards becoming indistractable. The author says, “Whether it’s a vest, a screen sign, or a light up crown, the way to reduce unwanted external triggers from other people is to display a clear signal that you do not want to be interrupted”.
Setting up boundaries by giving people visual cues that you do not want to be disturbed is a good way to stop unwanted external triggers. I live and do all my work at home. I share a house with my brother, his wife and my two nephews, which can be distracting. I keep my door open while working because I like the airflow and to stay connected to the rest of my family even if I’m busy working.
This can be an issue when my five year old nephew Axel comes into my room chattering away. Reading this book has inspired me to come up with my own visual cue to let him know I’m busy and cannot be disturbed. Near my door, I’ve been placing yellow gummy bear lamp. If my nephew comes to my door while it is on, I remind him that this is my do not disturb bear. Warding off external triggers before they even happen is a great way to limit distractions and move closer to achieving your goals.
