We’re moving into a new decade in less than 10 days. Do you know what’s being touted as the THE SKILLSET required to thrive in the next decade, or century ? Your ability to be ‘indestructible’.
With our 24X7 connected lives, filled with gadgets and innumerable distractions, the ones who can train their mind to be still, will get ahead, and find peace in their professional and personal lives. In his latest book, ‘indestructible’, author and investor Nir Eyal presents insights from several research studies surrounding productivity, work and focus. He says, “In an age of increased automation, the only jobs machines can’t do are the ones that require creative problem solving – the kind of human creativity that only comes from focusing deeply on the task at hand. So being ‘’indestructible’’ will be the key skill we all need in the next century. But how can we get our minds to focus with all the distractions around us?
Be smart with your gadgets We overuse products and find ourselves forever distracted. However, throwing away our phones and swearing off social media aren’t practical solutions. Digital detoxes and 30-day plans also are hard to maintain because these breaks don’t address the real problem – becoming ‘’indestructible’’ isn’t just about a 30-day tech cleanse. Instead, you need to address the root of the problem: why you are not working on the things you say you want to work on. Use technology smartly. Ultimately, we control what distracts us. Don’t allow external triggers to take your attention away.
Master internal triggers
Don’t use technology and distractions to remove your focus from things that bring discomfort, or situations you are trying to escape – like put headphones on when you don’t want to listen to your spouse talking. On the professional front, keep your work-life balance factor in mind. You have to see to it, very few organisations have policies to ensure personal time. So, do your work, and go home. That’s what will keep your focus. You need to control what or who will distract you. If you don’t plan your time, someone else will. Don’t waste time on social media just scrolling. Focus on action, not on distraction.
Message less
We need to spend less time messaging. Focus on work or creative pursuits. Messaging is a waste of time. Studies show that you are probably spending 3.5 hours on messaging every day, and two hours in meetings. Change notification settings, or simply leave your devices so they don’t distract you from taking action in your life. Adds Eyal, “By calling technology addictive and irresistible, we are giving it more power and credit than it deserves. While technology certainly plays a role, it’s not the real cause of our distraction. There’s so much we can do to put it in its place. We all have the power to be ‘indestructible’.”
By calling technology addictive and irresistible, we are giving it more power and credit than it deserves. While technology plays a role, it’s not the real cause of our distraction (it’s us)