A Masterclass in Changing Your Limiting Beliefs - Nir Eyal - #1074
Nir Eyal is an author, behavioural design expert, and investor.
What does it mean to truly hold a belief you endorse? Maybe some of what we believe isn’t true. But more interesting is how beliefs are formed, and how they can be reshaped. So how do you update your beliefs in a way that actually serves you, rather than holds you back?
Expect to learn why beliefs are so important and why they are just tools not truths, what’s wrong with the traditional view of behaviour change and motivation, why smart, disciplined people still quit when their beliefs weaken, how big of a problem limiting beliefs are, how to reframe rejection and failure, why rumination feels productive when it’s actually destructive, how to audit your beliefs and much more…
Timestamps:
(0:00) Why Belief Shapes Everything You Do
(7:43) Are Spirituals Beliefs Weaker Than Religious Beliefs?
(11:32) The Power of Choosing What You Believe
(16:34) Why You Shouldn’t Treat Beliefs as Fact
(20:17) Can Belief Be Engineered?
(28:58) Rumination: Helpful or Harmful?
(30:57) How to Rebuild Belief After Failure
(38:28) Can You Really Create Your Own Luck?
(41:19) You’ll Always Find Negativity If You Look For It
(46:24) How Beliefs Can Physically Affect Your Body
(52:29) How to Break Free From Limiting Beliefs
(01:03:38) The Challenge Behind Changing Health Beliefs
(01:08:18) You Have More Agency Than You Think
(01:13:05) Why the Brain Defaults to Helplessness
(01:15:37) You Need to Believe in Your Potential
(01:21:46) The Placebo Prayer Protocol
(01:26:34) Where to Find Nir
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Extra Stuff:
Check out Nir's new book: http://geni.us/beyondbelief
Free belief change guide Nir mentioned is here: http://nirandfar.com/belief-change
Bonus content and the 30-Day Belief Transformation Journal: http://nirandfar.com/beyond-belief
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Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Life Lesson: The 10-Minute Rule That Beats ANY Bad Habit & This Weird Trick Forms Good Habits Instantly! Professor Steve Peters & Nir Eyal
In this episode we discover the science behind habits, how they're formed, how they can be broken, and the fascinating role self-perception plays in the process. We explore the power of reframing uncomfortable tasks, how habits are influenced by our self-image, and why pushing yourself too hard can backfire. You'll also learn why willpower is a limited resource, how to use discomfort as a tool for growth, and why small, achievable goals are the key to lasting change.
Professor Steve Peters Episode - https://bit.ly/4jqZSGK
Nir Eyal's Episode - https://bit.ly/3WuY05U
Follow Professor Steve Peters:
Instagram - https://bit.ly/3D5YBBA
Website - https://bit.ly/3iZtr84
Follow Nir Eyal:
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3BJR9uv
Instagram: https://bit.ly/43dDHuL
Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/%20TheDiaryOfACEO/videos
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Moment 149: Why You Are Easily Distracted & How To FIX it! Nir Eyal
In this moment, behaviour and habit design expert, Nir Eyal discusses how to beat procrastination and distraction. One of the first major steps is being able to master the internal triggers that are trying to pull your attention away. Nir believes that to do this you need to try and understand the underlying feelings behind these urge. As he says, time management is pain management, and all human behaviour is about trying to escape discomfort. Nir says that finding these underlying feelings can be achieved by writing down the sensations you feel just before distraction, this allows you identify them and then reframe them to your advantage. Because, if you don’t master these internal triggers, they become your master. Another major step to beat procrastination is by actually scheduling time to be distracted. Nir calls this ‘The 10 Minute Rule’, which allows you to give in to any distraction in your scheduled time, but only for 10 minutes!
Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/osVkcTMLbHb
Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/%20TheDiaryOfACEO/videos
Nir:
https://www.nirandfar.com
https://www.instagram.com/neyal99/?hl=en
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Strategies for becoming less distracted and improving focus | Nir Eyal (author of Indistractable and Hooked)
Nir Eyal is the author of two best-selling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. He writes, consults, and teaches at the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. His books have sold over 1 million copies in more than 30 languages; he has taught at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and its Design School; and he has started and sold two startups since 2003. In our conversation, we discuss:
• Strategies for becoming less distractible and improving focus
• The difference between distraction and “traction”
• Reactive work vs. reflexive work and why you should book time in your calendar
• The 10-minute rule to overcome internal triggers and stay focused
• The problem with to-do lists, and what to do instead
• The value of creating a timebox schedule that aligns with personal values and priorities
• The use of pacts as a last line of defense against distraction
• How to develop a high-agency mindset
• Advice for leaders on helping employees improve focus in the workplace
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Brought to you by Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | Teal—Your personal career growth platform
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/strategies-for-becoming-less-distractible
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Where to find Nir Eyal:
• X: https://twitter.com/nireyal
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/
• Website: https://www.nirandfar.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Nir’s background
(04:20) How to become less distractible
(07:43) Understanding distraction and traction
(12:52) The four steps to becoming indistractable
(13:53) Mastering internal triggers
(18:49) Surfing the urge with a 10-minute timer
(23:20) Making time for traction with a timebox schedule
(25:02) How to turn your values into time
(28:36) Booking deep work time
(29:22) Making pacts to prevent distraction
(31:00) The problem with to-do lists
(34:31) The drawback of deadlines
(36:08) Distraction is an emotion regulation problem
(39:54) Hacking back external triggers
(45:03) Preventing distraction with pacts
(48:18) Specific tools to hold you accountable
(53:42) Managing emotions and discomfort
(56:37) Taking responsibility and being high-agency
(01:00:09) Becoming indistractable at work
(01:05:04) Schedule syncing to align with managers
(01:09:36) We are not as hooked on technology as people think
(01:16:00) Life purpose and personal responsibility
(01:17:38) Lightning round
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Referenced:
• Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life: https://www.amazon.com/Indistractable-Control-Your-Attention-Choose/dp/194883653X
• Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products: https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-Products/dp/1591847788
• Dorothy Parker’s quote: https://twitter.com/nireyal/status/1472280598723108866
• “Writing is bleeding” quote: https://www.hemingwaysociety.org/quotation-controversy-writing-and-bleeding
• The Pomodoro Technique Explained: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryancollinseurope/2020/03/03/the-pomodoro-technique/
• Timeboxing: Why It Works and How to Get Started in 2024: https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing/
• Using your working time well - Issue 22: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-issue-22
• All-In podcast: https://www.allinpodcast.co/
• Nir’s post about “the planning fallacy”: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nireyal_why-do-tasks-always-seem-to-take-longer-than-activity-7137440438939959297-XIUB/
• How the Ancient Greeks Beat Distraction: https://www.nirandfar.com/tantalizing-distractions/
• Jeremy Bentham: https://iep.utm.edu/jeremy-bentham
• An overview of Sigmund Freud’s pleasure principle: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/pleasure-principle
• The Matrix “There is no spoon” scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAXtO5dMqEI
• Outlet timer: https://www.amazon.com/Century-Indoor-24-Hour-Mechanical-Outlet/dp/B01LPSGBZS
• Forest app: https://www.forestapp.cc/
• Focusmate: https://www.focusmate.com/
• Have We Been Thinking About Willpower the Wrong Way for 30 Years?: https://hbr.org/2016/11/have-we-been-thinking-about-willpower-the-wrong-way-for-30-years
• We Need Social Antibodies to Fight the Disease of Distraction: https://nireyal.medium.com/we-need-social-antibodies-to-fight-the-disease-of-distraction-51f9187be016
• The Mere Presence of Your Smartphone Reduces Brain Power, Study Shows: https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power
• Leading in Tough Times: HBS Faculty Member Amy C. Edmondson on Psychological Safety: https://www.hbs.edu/recruiting/insights-and-advice/blog/post/leading-in-tough-times
• If Tech Is So Distracting, How Do Slack Employees Stay So Focused?: https://www.nirandfar.com/slack-use/
• Managing up: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up
• Duolingo: https://www.duolingo.com/
• FitBot: https://www.fitbotapp.com/
• Paulo Coelho’s quote: https://twitter.com/paulocoelho/status/416264984188825600
• Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Curious-Science-Creating-Business/dp/006238841X
• The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality: https://www.amazon.com/Experience-Machine-Minds-Predict-Reality/dp/1524748455
• Empire of the Sun on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Sun-Christian-Bale/dp/B001N3JY82
• Sesame grinder: https://www.miyacompany.com/450-014-450-014
• Muji pens: https://www.muji.us/collections/pen-pencils
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Moment 126: How To Master The Consistency Of Achieving Your Goals & Sticking To Them: Nir Eyal
In this moment, the behavioural design and productivity expert, Nir Eyal discusses how the belief that you only have a limited amount of willpower is actually a self-limiting myth. Instead, using scientific studies Nir shows that willpower is a limitless resource. Similarly, Nir says the single factor for why you don’t achieve your goals is from the emotion of not feeling like doing the gradual work it takes to accomplish them. It is because of this that you quit and fail. To prevent this, Nir believes you should act now with the same attributes and values you would want in your future self, the future you that has achieved these targets and goals.
Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/7lsnhHGsUCb
Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/%20TheDiaryOfACEO/videos
Nir: https://www.nirandfar.com/
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No.1 Habit & Procrastination Expert: We've Got ADHD Wrong! Break Any Habit & Never Be Distracted!
In this new episode Steven sits down with the American behavioural design expert, Nir Eyal.
Nir’s career has focused on behavioural engineering and helping businesses to develop habit-forming products. His work explores the intersection of psychology, technology, and business, and has earned him the label of “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology”. Since 2003, he has co-founded two technology companies, worked as a consultant in product design and taught as a lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. Nir is the author of 2 bestselling books, ‘Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products’ and ’Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.’
In this conversation Nir and Steven discuss topics, such as:
How to reclaim your time and attention.
The importance of ‘time-boxing’.
The real reasons that people become distracted.
How our thinking about having finite willpower is wrong.
Why our thinking about ADHD is wrong and needs to be fixed.
You can purchase ‘Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life’, here: https://bit.ly/3ooKYcw
Follow:
Instagram: https://bit.ly/43dDHuL
Twitter: https://bit.ly/45n1Dhi
Follow me:
https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo
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Are We Actually Addicted To Our Phones? — With Nir Eyal
Nir Eyal is the bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable. He joins Big Technology Podcast for a spirited debate over whether we're actually addicted to our phones, the ethics of app developers who use tricks to keep us coming back, and what to do about it.
You can find Nir's books here:
http://geni.us/Indistractable and http://geni.us/hooked
Here's an Indistractable summary article: https://www.nirandfar.com/skill-of-the-future/
And a distraction guide: https://www.nirandfar.com/distractions/
And a schedule maker tool: https://nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/
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Moment 2 - Nir Eyal On How To Stop Procrastinating
In these ‘Moment’ episodes of my podcast, I’ll be selecting my favourite moments from previous episodes of The Diary Of A CEO. In this episode Nir Eyal, International Best-Selling Author, lecturer and inventor explains the psychological reasoning behind our procrastination. As entrepreneurs we all have a clear vision for what we want and who we want to be. But no matter how strong this vision is, procrastination and distraction somehow find a way to stand between us and getting stuff done. Nir breaks down the science behind distraction and offers advice in how we can become ‘Indistractable’. Full Episode - https://g2ul0.app.link/cvqxeLjPEfb Nir: https://www.instagram.com/neyal99/ https://twitter.com/nireyal Watch us on YouTube - www.youtube.com/StevenBartlettYT
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E43: Nir Eyal - How to Become Indistractable
On this week's episode of The Diary of a CEO, I sit down with Nir Eyal, an Israeli-born American author, lecturer and investor. Nir released his first book in 2014 “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products” and it became a Wall Street Journal Interna...
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#104 - Nir Eyal - How To Control Your Attention And Become Indistractable
Nir Eyal is an author, business owner and Teacher at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Design.
What would life be like if we didn't get distracted? What if we always followed through with the things we said we were going to do? That's the purpose of today's discussion.
Expect to learn how internal and external triggers can combine to form a breeding ground for poor productivity, and how making time for traction is just as important as avoiding distraction when getting things done.
Extra Stuff:
Buy Indistractable - https://amzn.to/2Nfzsfh
Check Out Nir's Website - https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/
Follow Nir on Twitter - https://twitter.com/nireyal
Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom
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Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx
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#117 – Becoming Indistractable as a Founder with Nir Eyal, Author of Hooked
Being an indie hacker is the ultimate responsibility: If you don't get things done, nobody else will. It's up to you consistently execute well, day after day. But how exactly you do that? Nir Eyal (@nireyal) joined me on the podcast to answer that exact question. After years of research into what separates those of us who execute on what we commit to doing vs those of us who get distracted or lose motivation, he's broken down his findings into a process any founder can use to become "indistractable."
Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/117-nir-eyal-of-indistractable
How to be “indistractable” with Nir Eyal
On this episode Ryan is joined by a friend, writer, and student of human psychology, Nir Eyal. I’ve learned so much from his writing over the years. He has an incredible ability to synthesize complex ideas and studies into actionable steps people can use to build more engaging products and a healthier life. Ryan actually helped him with his first bestselling book,* Hooked: How to Build Habit Forming Products*, back in 2012, before Product Hunt started.
This week he published his second book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. The timing of its release is more relevant than ever as people are increasingly seeking a healthier relationship with their smartphones, wearables, and tech in general.
In this episode they talk about...
The change in attitude towards tech over the past several years
“Back then people thought Zuckerberg and the Twitter guys and the Google guys just got lucky and stumbled onto something. We had to convince people that they knew what makes you click and what makes you tick better than you do yourself. Now, that’s a foregone conclusion. In fact, I think the pendulum has swung too far the other way.”
Nir explains the shift in the perception of tech in general since he wrote his first book, Hooked, to now. He says that there has always been a level of skepticism in Silicon Valley, which is generally a good thing, but that he fears people are heading towards being too cynical and having a fixed mindset towards the tech industry and its products.
How to make sure your product development process is ethical
““I think it’s important that product designers have a way to tap the brakes and ask, ‘is what we’re doing okay? Does this cross an ethical line?’”
He talks about searching for an ethical framework that ensures that the products one creates are not causing harm to the user. He says that he went from the (former) Google motto “don’t be evil” to the Golden Rule to what the lawyers recommended to get to his formulation of the “regret test.” He explains exactly how you can use it at your company.
A regret test asks ‘would the user do the thing we have designed for them to do, if they knew everything we do?’”
Whether the government should or should not get involved in regulating tech
They talk about some of the proposed regulations that are floating around the news these days, and Nir explains why they are well-intentioned but unlikely to make a real difference. He points out that the problem is the “fear-industrial complex” that accompanies any new tech or media. He says that to say that people lack any agency to pull themselves away from tech is insulting and points out that over fifty years ago, people were using the exact same words to describe the effects of comic books.
The true impact of tech on your brain
“Why is scrolling on Twitter somehow morally inferior to watching Fox News? To me they are equally divisive, equally potentially toxic, and can equally be abused by people who go overboard. Why do we only apply the standard to new technology? Because it’s an easy target.”
Nir says that it’s important not to get fixated on the tech, but rather the end result of using that tech. He points out that both Snapchat and Duolingo use streaks, but to very different ends. He says that he is neither a proponent of nor apologist for tech and that not all distractions are created equal."
The strategies he uses to ensure he doesn’t get distracted
“The antidote to impulsiveness is forethought. We have to plan ahead and take steps in advance to make sure you do whatever it is you want to do in life.”
He explains what his nightly routine is, how it has enabled him to live a better life, and how he uses certain pieces of tech to keep himself away from other, less useful tech. He tells the story of buying a twelve dollar flip phone from Alibaba and why, like crash diets, digital detoxes don’t end up working.
Bonus Content: Aba’s Community Podcast
Abadesi recently hosted a Periscope session where she asked the community to chime in on what their favorite products are and why. Make sure to follow us on social to participate in the next session, and you could make it into the podcast!
We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸
#023 – Building Habit-Forming Products with Nir Eyal, the Author of "Hooked"
Why do some products become habits? What keeps people coming back to apps like Facebook and Pinterest every day? Nir Eyal breaks the step-by-step process any product can use to to become a habit, and we also dive into the ethical implications of this new super power.
Product Hunt Radio: Episode 26 w/ Andrew Chen and Nir Eyal
This week, friends Andrew Chen (Entrepreneur, Investor. Ex-Adtech and VC) and Nir Eyal (Author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, Blogger at NirAndFar.com), join me, Ryan Hoover, to chat about products. We discuss an unusual app called Ethan, habit-forming products, and the rise of pet products. Enjoy. Products mentioned: - Ethan (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/ethan) - A messaging app for messaging Ethan - TD4W (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/td4w) - A party in your pants - Ping (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/ping-2) - You're going to like me (new app by Secret) - Weave (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/weave) - Tinder for professionals nearby - Path Talk (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/talk-by-path) - Smart, Private Messaging - Mailbox (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/mailbox-2-0) - Fly through your email. - SaneBox (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/sanebox) - Prioritization for your inbox - Spritz (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/sprintz) - Reading reimagined. Technology for faster communication. - Readtime (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/readtime) - Helps me get through my pocket - Quibb (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/quibb) - Professional network to share industry news and analysis - Link Bubble (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/link-bubble) - Mobile browsing done right - Kloof (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/klooff) - Show the world how much you love your pet - BarkBox (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/bark-box) - - BarkShop (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/barkshop) - Find The Perfect Pawduct For Your Pooch, from Bark & Co - BarkCam (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/barkcam) - The first camera app designed to make your pup a star - Sesame (https://sincerely.com/sesame) - Themed gift sets delivered in a beautiful box
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