Nir Eyal explains how checking email feels productive but derails you from real work. He describes getting tricked into prioritizing urgent tasks over a big project, calling email the worst distraction because it masquerades as productivity.
I would look at my to do list, I'd say, okay, I've got that big important project. That's what I'm going to do this morning. I'm not going to get distracted. Nothing's going to get in my way. Here I go. I'm going to get started. But first let me check some email. And what I didn't realize is that distraction was tricking me into prioritizing the urgent and the easy stuff at the expense of the hard.
And important work I had to do to move my life and career forward.
So just because it's a work related task doesn't mean it's not a distraction. In fact, that's the worst kind of distraction. Far worse than playing Candy Crush or whatever because then you know, you're putzing around, then at least it's obvious that you're distracted. But if you're just checking work email, you feel productive even though that's a.
Distraction because it's.
Not what you said.
You want to do with your.
Time and attention.
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