There are the obvious ones: 

And then there are the non-obvious ones: 

The reflexive approach is to fight distraction—say no to it. But there’s a better move: 

This sounds simple, but it’s harder than you think. Because focus activities often depend on things you might consider distractions. 

Say you want to write your blog post or update a workflow, only to discover that your writing app subscription has expired. To write, you first need to run the errand of re-subscribing. 

When you say yes to focus, the perspective shifts: an errand like re-subscribing ceases to be seen as a distraction—it becomes part of the focus chain. 

And then there’s biology. 

Hunger, fatigue, boredom, excitement—they’ll pull at you. But that’s what breaks are for. You can’t focus 100% of the time. 

What you can do is allow intentional breaks for biological and other essential needs, then return to what matters. 

The bottom line: don’t fight distractions. Devote yourself to the activities that move the needle. Focus isn’t the absence of distraction—it’s the presence of intention.