A. WHAT HAPPENED
More than 500 people applied for a pilot we recently launched for our upcoming program called “Zen Productivity.” And in the application, we asked this question: “Please describe the obstacles that come in the way of your productivity.”
And do you know what 50% of the applicants said?
“Distraction.”
Distractions from smartphones, social media apps, and so on. But if this is such a huge problem, why can’t we just cut out that distraction? Nobody is forcing us to check our smartphones, right? Turns out, it is not that simple – and I will explain why.
B. THE PROBLEM
This problem is so hard to solve because of the way our brain is wired. There are two different parts of our brain involved in this game.
The portion at the front (indicated in blue), is called the prefrontal cortex (PFC). It is our ‘thinking and decision making brain.’ And the portion in the middle (indicated in purple) is the basal ganglia, which is the reason why we are so hooked to our smartphones.
Normally, as we go about our day, we take many of our actions after thinking and deciding what to do. This decision making happens in the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
For example, years ago, after you first acquired your smartphone and were not yet hooked to it, whenever your mind got bored and looked for an escape – there would have been multiple options. Your prefrontal cortex evaluated those options and decided to open your Instagram app.
And when you checked Instagram, you felt pleasure! Wonderful. 🥳
So the next time you were bored and evaluated various feel-good options, you were more likely to go to your Instagram app. And everytime you did that, it felt rewarding.
But there was a problem. Each time your prefrontal cortex had to make a decision, it had to work hard. However, if Instagram was so predictably rewarding, why not make it an automatic decision to open Instagram?
That is what our brain does. After you have opened Instagram many, many times, our brain creates an automatic rule or algorithm: “When bored, check Instagram.”
And this algorithm is stored in basal ganglia (shown in purple color in the image above), whose job is to just execute the algorithms automatically, once the right trigger hits (in this case, when you feel bored). And what are these algorithms called in common parlance? Habits!! 😊
Once the action moves from your prefrontal cortex to your basal ganglia, you will open your phone without even realizing because it is now automatic! And if you don’t even realize what you are doing, how will you stop yourself from taking that action? That is why it is so hard to break smartphone habits (or any deeply ingrained habits).
To break this habit, you need to create alternative habits that can override the old habits.
But how do we build these new algorithms or habits? For that, you need a step-by-step process to weaken and break the old smartphone habit loops, and rewire new ones.
C. THE SOLUTION I CREATED
So I spent more than two years researching, testing, and creating an 8-module program called Undistractable, which does just that. This is the most thorough and complete program you will find on overcoming digital distractions (a quick Google search will convince you of that).
In this program we give a series of exercises to rewire your brain. Remember – there is no magic or shortcut – you have to go through a scientific process of creating new neural connections.
Check out the Undistractable program here. The program feedback has been phenomenal – but to help you decide easily, we offer a 2-week refund period that gives you ample time to make sure that the program is right for you. It will help you reclaim your life from smartphone addictions.
D. HOW IT WILL BENEFIT YOU
We are now at the beginning of 2024. If this year has to be transformative, we can’t keep doing what we have always been doing. Without solving this problem of smartphone distraction, you won’t get even close to your peak productivity or achieving your career growth. Because if the mind is constantly agitated, how can one do anything meaningful?
We can choose to destroy the destructive habits holding us back, and inculcate healthy habits, focus, and calm. It is up to us.
But everything will require action – no shortcuts. So make a choice and take the first step.
Check out Undistractable.
Rajan