1 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about the technics 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,799 Speaker 1: he used by leading innovators to get so much out 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: of their day. I'm your host, doctor Amantha Imba. I'm 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: an organizational psychologist, the CEO of Inventium, and I'm obsessed 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 1: with finding ways to optimize my work date. This episode 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: is another My Favorite Tip episode. The title's probably pretty 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: self explanatory. It's about my favorite tip from each of 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: the interviews I conduct. I use this format because I 9 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: sometimes feel myself as a podcast listener that I just 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: want to get in, get the most about a value 11 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: from an episode, and then get out. So in this format, 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: I try doing just that. So my guest on today's 13 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: My Favorite Tip episode is Matt Mullenweg. I feel like 14 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: Matt is kind of like Internet Royalty because he's a 15 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: founding developer of WordPress, which is the open source software 16 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: used by over thirty one percent of websites. He also 17 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: founded Automatic, which now in around seven hundred people. Matt 18 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: has been named one of Business Week's twenty five most 19 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: Influential People on the Web as well, and in this excerpt, 20 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: we talk about how Matt deals with digital distractions and 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: has made small tweaks to his life to create healthier habits. 22 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: What I love is how down to earth and human 23 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: Matt is when it comes to this stuff. Like you 24 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:27,479 Speaker 1: would think that someone with Matt's pedigree and achievements has 25 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:32,479 Speaker 1: just got it all together, and that it's clear from 26 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: listening to Matt that dealing with digital distractions is a 27 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: real struggle for him, just like it is for the 28 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: rest of us. But I really do love hearing about 29 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: how he's deliberately thought about this and made some changes accordingly. 30 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,759 Speaker 1: So on that note, over to Matt to hear about 31 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: how he deals with digital distractions. 32 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's funny because I have friends that are like, oh, 33 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: they're so productive, how do you be so productive? And 34 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 2: I feel like the most unproductive person. So my approach 35 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 2: is generally like a ulysses, I tie myself to the mast, 36 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 2: you know, plug my ears so I can't hear the sirens. 37 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 2: And yeah, I find that I'm way better at planning 38 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 2: ahead than actually resisting temptation. So if I can just 39 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: close out the apps, or it's not that I'm getting 40 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 2: lots of notifications and not looking at them, is that 41 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 2: I'm just you know, hiding the notifications for myself so 42 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 2: that my brain doesn't even have to use the willpower 43 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 2: to not engage with them. 44 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: And I mean, do you have notifications constantly turned off 45 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: or do you kind of switch them on when you 46 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: are in so that I guess more of a responsive mode. 47 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 2: I have notifications, but they generally don't buzz me, so 48 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 2: the phone doesn't have any visible or you know, I 49 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 2: guess haptic feedback whenever something comes in. And then on 50 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 2: the computer, I'll just generally close apps out, you know, 51 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 2: if it's not relevant, including slacks. Sometimes that's maybe my 52 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: biggest distraction because I kind of keep it on when 53 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 2: I'm working or having conversations, but of course then anything 54 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 2: can come in I find as well, Like you know, 55 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: it's not necessarily tie myself to the mask, but even 56 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 2: things like if what is closest to me in the 57 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 2: bed when I wake up is the kindle and on 58 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: the phone, I'm more likely to read. But if the 59 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 2: phone's on top of the kindle, you know, I'm more 60 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 2: likely to look at the phone. But if I can 61 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 2: reverse that order, you know, it's a bit better. So 62 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 2: just a little hacks like that, and I think it's 63 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 2: good to kind of look at every aspect of your 64 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 2: life and say, okay, where's something that I can kind 65 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: of make it easy to do the thing that I 66 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 2: want to dom I like that. 67 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: What other aspects of your life of your life have 68 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: you made those simple changes that have led to better habits? 69 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 2: Oh, if I have sweets or or things like that 70 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 2: in the house, I don't have them visible, and they're 71 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: generally like in a drawer or kind of buried away 72 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 2: a little bit, so I can get them if I'm 73 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 2: entertaining or having a party or really really want it. 74 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 2: But it's not just something that's like staring at me 75 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 2: all day saying eat me, eat me. That's you know, 76 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 2: kind of a common thread that your phone's not buzzing 77 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: saying look at me, look at me. The tasty food 78 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: is not saying eat me, eat me. Just kind of 79 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 2: out of sight, out of mind. It's not one hundred 80 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 2: percent true, but is very helpful. 81 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 1: Definitely, definitely. And what else do you do to focus? 82 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: So you're closing down apps that you're not using and 83 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: the notifications is switched off, Like, is there anything else 84 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: that you found to be effective to stay focused? 85 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 2: Going offline? It's really great, you know we do this 86 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 2: unintentionally sometimes on airplanes, but then occasionally at home, I'll 87 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 2: actually just turn off the network, the Wi Fi or 88 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 2: the ethernet and like literally unplugging it and then just 89 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: forcing myself to look at all the things that are 90 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: there in front of me, so start closing down more 91 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 2: tabs than I open, or looking at those files that 92 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 2: have been on my desktop for several months and saying, okay, 93 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 2: what's going to be the way to do that? Kind 94 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 2: of carving out that time, even if it's unintentional, just 95 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:17,239 Speaker 2: taking really savoring whatever is available to you at the moment, 96 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 2: I find very helpful, and you know, just trying to 97 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: have like the home screen of my phone doesn't have 98 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: anything that's distracting. It's only like good habit as, Like 99 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: what's some examples of those, So like instead of Facebook, 100 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 2: I'll have Kindle or you know, audio apps, run keeper. 101 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 2: My kind of bottom bar is lift Google mapps to 102 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 2: do list and calendar, so all things that are are 103 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 2: very very kind of productive. In fact, I removed the 104 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 2: Google app from there, which I like using for searching 105 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 2: for things, because when you launch a Google app, it 106 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 2: also shows you interesting news stories. So I just wanted 107 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 2: to kind of change my muscle memory and move it around. 108 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 2: I find that, you know, if I find myself using 109 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 2: something too often or getting to it just moving it 110 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 2: can sometimes break that pattern. So you know, my thumb 111 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 2: actually accidentally click on the thing I replace it with. 112 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: Just because you get in these patterns, and by knowing 113 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 2: how the patterns work, I think it makes it at 114 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 2: least more possible to break them. I won't say it 115 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 2: makes it easier, but it makes it at least that 116 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 2: you can recognize yourself sometimes in it. 117 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: Hi, it's Amantha here again. So for me, one of 118 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: the things I took from this excerpt was thinking about 119 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: my phone as a utility device and changing my home 120 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: screen to only include utility apps. So, for example, on 121 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: my phone's home screen, I have things like maps, my calculator, 122 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: my timer, my calendar, and then other less healthy apps 123 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: so to speak, are relegated to other pages. So that 124 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: is it for today's show. If you like this excerpt, 125 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: you might want to listen to my full chat with Matt, 126 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: which I linked to in the show notes. And if 127 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: you're enjoying how I work, I would love it so 128 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: much if you could take just five seconds to leave 129 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: a review in Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to 130 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: this show, so leaving reviews actually makes it easier for 131 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: other people to find the podcast. That is just the 132 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: way that these algorithms work. And thank you so much 133 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: to all the wonderful people who have left reviews. They 134 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: truly do make my day. So that's it for today 135 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: and I'll see you next time.