Wesitdownonourdesks, toeworkon a bigprojectandyetfindourselvescheckingemailorscrolling a slackchannelordoingsomethingelseratherthanthethingweplannedtodowithourtime.
Soifanexternaltriggerlike a paying a ding, a ring, a notification, even a colleaguepromptsyoutodosomethingyouplantodowithyourtime, it's leadingyoutowardstraction.
However, ifoneofthesenotifications, uh, takesyouofftrack, promptyoutodosomethingyoudidn't plantodio, asitwasthecasewhen I waswithmydaughter, whenmyphonebuzzedand I wasonmydeviceasopposedtobeingpresentwithher, itledmetowardsdistraction.
However, asmuchasweblametheseexternaltriggers, itturnsoutthemostcommonsourceofdistractionarenotthethingsoutsideofus, butratherthefactthatdistractiontendstostartfromwithinustheseair.