“I only write books for problems I can’t otherwise solve,” Nir Eyal says. “I don’t write my books for my readers; I write my books for myself.”

Driven by curiosity to fix his own problems, Nir’s books have sold over one million copies. Listen to today’s conversation on how he weathered the criticism storm around his first book, Hooked; the one essential skill to being an entrepreneur; how to turn your values into time, and turn time into traction; and if you’re an aspiring author, why the fear of not being qualified should not be one of your fears.

If you haven’t already, check out Pivot episode 131: Indistractable with Nir Eyal.

More About Nir

Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Harvard Business Review, Time Magazine, and Psychology Today.

🌟 3 Key Takeaways

Distraction is not something that happens to us, it’s something we ourselves decide to do.
Traction is prioritizing the right things, on your chosen schedule.
Reactive work vs reflective work: you have to put time in your schedule to think.

📝 Permission

Live out your values without regret. There is no distraction you can’t overcome if you plan ahead, even if you can’t guarantee the outcome. You do control your time, and your attention. We need to stop moralizing or medicalizing normal behaviors, as long as you do them on your schedule.

✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next

Map out a time-blocked calendar that includes time with loved ones, a bedtime, and anything else that fits your values.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

📚 Books Mentioned

Hooked and Indistractable
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
Life After College

🎧 Related Episodes

The Tim Ferriss Show with Tim Urban (#283)
Diary of a CEO: No.1 Habit & Procrastination Expert: We've Got ADHD Wrong! Break Any Habit & Never Be Distracted!
Free Time: 203: 🎢 Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster of Launching with Natalie Lue
Pivot: 131: Indistractable with Nir Eyal
281: Feeling Impostery? Become a Qualified Curator Instead of an End-All-Be-All Expert

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