Effective in Eliminating Internal Distractors

As you can see, I finally got a new logo (and banner) for the newsletter! Now it’s official - because nothing says “I mean business” like an arrow pointing upwards, right?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about eliminating *external* distractors. I used this word intentionally because, even if we manage to tame the 6.2 hours spent on emails and direct messages, internal distractions still need attention. A quick disclaimer: while meditation is an excellent solution to this, it's not my area of expertise. So, this text focuses on tactical ways to manage internal distractions, not necessarily eliminate them. If you're an expert in meditation and want to contribute, I'd be happy to connect.

Still not sure what internal distractions are? Keep reading…

THE THEORY

"A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind." A Harvard study found that people’s minds wander nearly 47% of the time and this mind-wandering is strongly linked to unhappiness. Staying present and focused not only improves productivity but also enhances emotional well-being. Training ourselves to focus reduces cognitive overload and boosts overall satisfaction.

Clearing your mind of unprocessed thoughts can drastically reduce internal distractions. David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology introduces the concept of "mind like water," where your mental state remains calm and focused, able to respond freely without being burdened by unresolved tasks. Capturing everything externally (whether through written notes or apps) frees our mind to focus on the task at hand, allowing it to function optimally.

Now everyone wants to build a "second brain." This concept, popularized by Tiago Forte, focuses on building a reliable (and robust) digital system to store information, tasks, and ideas. This external system helps unclutter our mind, leaving it to focus on higher-order thinking. This practice is referred to as Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), and it allows knowledge workers to handle large amounts of information without mental overload. [Side Note: After a long exploration, I ended up coming up with my own version of this, not following any of the popular frameworks. I suggest everyone finds what works best for them to capture digitally all the content they are consuming].

External pacts, as suggested by Nir Eyal in Indistractable, are commitments you make with others to stay accountable and avoid distractions. These pacts leverage social pressure to keep you focused. By creating boundaries in advance and involving others (e.g. sharing your work plans with colleagues or setting deadlines), we reduce the likelihood of giving in to distractions, making it easier to stay on task and achieve your objectives.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

One technique I use to manage internal distractions is sending myself emails when an idea or request comes up. As soon as a thought enters my mind or someone asks me for something, I email it to myself. This ensures I don’t forget and prevents the thought from lingering and distracting me from current tasks. It’s a quick way to clear my mind. Instead of mentally juggling the idea, I know it’s documented for later. [Side Note: My wife used to find it weird when I asked her to "email me" things while I was driving, but now, she does it too!]

HOW TO PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE

1. Create a reliable external system for capturing thoughts. Whether you use a notebook, a note-taking app, or send emails to yourself, ensure that every new task or idea is immediately documented. This will free up mental space for more important work.

2. Set deadlines as external commitments: Share your tasks with a colleague, partner, or supervisor to create accountability. Create a deadline even if one doesn't exist (e.g. to deliver the structure of a document you will take two weeks to prepare). This social pressure makes it easier to stay focused and avoid distractions.

3. Start a frustration list. When something annoys or frustrates you, write it down. This simple practice can significantly reduce the emotional toll of those distractions and help you process them more effectively later.

4. Turn notes into action: Each week, schedule time to review your notes or captured thoughts, decide which ones to tackle, and add them to your calendar (as a commitment to yourself - add external validation if needed).

Stay indistractable,

Jorge Luis Pando