News

Attention! The Power of Simple Decisions in a Distracted World

By: Rob Hatch

Reflection by: Jenny Hagadorn

Why I read it?

With technology being such a huge part of all of our lives, I always find myself getting distracted. I was hoping to gain some insight on how to better focus my attention and be more productive with my days.

What is it all about?

The focus of this book is the idea that nearly everything in life, even if it seems insignificant, is a decision. For example, when a notification pops up on our phone, we have to decide to ignore it or click on it. Even though that decision happens in a split second, it still uses some brain power. Hatch describes various strategies and perspectives to set ourselves up for success ahead of time by limiting distractions and making our decisions easier. He uses practical examples that make the situations relatable and breaks them down in an easily digestible manner.

What caused me to pause?

Hatch continuously asks the question “What does that look like?” Rather than just saying “I’m going to run 3 days a week after work,” what does that actually look like for me? For me, this would include placing my running clothes out the night before so they are ready to go and making sure my watch is charged up. If we take the time to do a few things that make our decisions easier later on, we are setting ourselves up for success. One of my favorite examples mentioned was putting your TV remote in the closet instead of next to the couch, so it makes it harder to fall into the habit of sitting down and turning on the TV as soon as you get home.

How will this book change my habits/influence me? 

One of the big themes Hatch discusses is training yourself to focus on what went well rather than what went wrong. As I am going through life both personally and professionally, I will keep this in mind as I reflect on what things were successful, why they were successful, and how to replicate them in other areas. Like many people, I tend to focus on the failures rather than the successes, so this was definitely a perspective I’m looking forward to taking with me!

Add this to your reading list if …

Like me, you find yourself easily distracted by notifications on your phone or would much rather stay on the couch watching Netflix than choosing to get up and go for a run. This book offers great tips if you are looking for ways to set yourself up for success.

Pickle Rating: 5/5

• Post Categories
• Team Reflections