Creating implementation intentions for more traction

- Now that we've learned how to manage our internal triggers and that fundamentally, time management is about pain management, the next set of techniques have to do with how do we make sure that we make time for traction? You see, there's a fundamental question that we have to answer at this point, which is, how in the moment do we tell the difference between the things we want to do, the acts of traction, and the things that in retrospect, we would regret doing, all of those distractions? You see, distraction tricks us. It makes us think that the thing we're doing right now is what we really want to do, even if it isn't. So how do we know the difference in the moment between traction and distraction? The only way is to plan ahead. You see, many times when I talk to people who are struggling with distraction, they tell me, oh, the world is so distracting these days, I can't concentrate on anything. All of this technology is buzzing around me, and I can't get anything done. And I tell them, I'm sorry about that, but what did you plan to do today? What was it that all of this technology distracted you from? Do you mind if I see what was on your schedule that you didn't get to accomplish? And oftentimes they'll take out their cell phone, and they'll open up their calendar app, and they'll sheepishly show it to me. And it tends to be blank, just pristine white. You see, the fact is we cannot call something a distraction unless we know what it is distracting us from. So the only way to know the difference between traction and distraction is to plan ahead. To do that, we can use a technique that psychologists call setting an implementation intention, which is just a fancy way of saying, planning out what you will do and when you will do it. In this day and age, if you don't plan out your time, someone else will. Your boss, your client, your kids, Facebook, something on TV, the news, something is going to to eat up that time. If you don't reserve it for the things that you want to do, your acts of traction. I recommend planning out every minute of your day. Now, does that mean that sometimes you won't fall off the rails and not do what you plan to do? Of course. And does that mean we should beat ourselves up if we don't accomplish everything we plan to do? No, certainly it doesn't. But without a template for what your ideal week looks like, then everything is a potential distraction. So in order to tell the difference between traction and distraction, we have to plan out that time in our day.