Nir Eyal: Why To-Do Lists Are Problematic

“We need to free ourselves from the tyranny of the to-do list,” says Nir Eyal, author of Indistractable. Eyal joins the guys to teach us a different—and more effective—method for optimizing our input and realizing that we don’t generally control output. We tend to allow distraction to prioritize the urgent at the expense of the important, says Eyal. Instead, he uses something called time-blocking to reframe how we view productivity. Instead of blaming technology, Eyal helps people to identify the roots of chronic distractedness. In the process, he dispels some myths on habits and reminds us that we don’t need to go pro in everything. And he offers his four strategies for beating distraction: mastering internal triggers, making time for traction (more on that in the episode), hacking back external triggers, and preventing distraction with pacts. (For more, check out the timebox calendar tool Nir mentions in the episode.)