Like many people, I strive to find a balance between “Work Courtnay” and “Life Courtnay.” It’s hard.
My quest for the perfect blend of balance has led me to find a lot of garbage that may work for others but does nothing for me but raise my stress level and cause me more work—the exact OPPOSITE of what I need to do.
I’m a fan of technology (I love you Apple), and it’s easy to get sucked into app after app and their glittery promise of automation, stress-free workflow, along with gentle reminders of all the things you need to do.
Yeah right. That’s the Instagram version. In reality, they are usually way more difficult to use than they let on, they freeze up and crash, and if I get ONE MORE ding, ping, or duck noise alerting me or reminding me of anything, I’ll chuck that $1000 pocket troll into the river.
It’s not just the phone, though, email is also my nemesis. I constantly battle with not living in my inbox. You know the drill, you’re working diligently on something, and OOH, a new email comes in. I better check it. It’s a notification from LinkedIn. Cool, someone commented on my post. I should take a look and respond. Then boom, you’re down that rabbit hole.
That’s why I get so pumped when I stumble across something that truly works!!! A few months ago, by pure chance (I needed to use up some Audible credits), I downloaded six personal development books. One of them happened to be Indistractable by Nir Eyal.
I AM OBSESSED. I get excited when I find things that are:
1. Quick Start: - Nir’s straight forward, practical tips are easy to get into place and start using quickly.
2. Frictionless: These strategies don’t require any extra thought or cumbersome action. Once in place, they decrease the mental energy needed to use them.
3. Inherently Natural: The suggestions immediately feel natural and flow with all technology sources. For me, this leads to longevity and the ability to get a good habit to stick.
If you are on the hunt for ways to tame tech, slay your inbox, dodge distractions, and take back control of your time, then this book is a must-read. PS, a bonus is that Nir talks about creating an indistractable work culture. Pure gold. Enjoy friends.
Inspire. Engage. Thrive.
Courtnay