How I Work

Adam Alter on how to kick mobile phone addiction, how to overcome stuck points, and why he doesn't set goals.


Listen Later

My guest today is Adam Alter. Adam is an Associate Professor of Marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Adam is the New York Times bestselling author of two books: Irresistible, which considers why so many people today are addicted to so many behaviors, from incessant smart phone and internet use to video game playing and online shopping, and Drunk Tank Pink, which investigates how hidden forces in the world around us shape our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Adam has also written for the New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Atlantic, WIRED, Slate, Huffington Post, and Popular Science, among other publications.

We cover:

  • How Adam reduced his own mobile phone usage by 30%
  • Adam’s extreme techniques for staying off his mobile
  • How to use stopping cues to reduce mobile phone usage
  • The retromania trend and how that is helping with digital addictions
  • The ZZZ-mail approach to managing your inbox
  • How Adam overcomes “stuck points” when he is working
  • Why Adam doesn’t set goals, and what he does instead
  • Adam’s hack for enjoying running more
  • How Adam thinks about boredom and its relationship to his own creativity
  • Why Adam never listens to music on his runs
  • Adam's approach to screens with his two and three year old children


You can find Adam on his website, Twitter, and get a copy of Irresistible here.

Visit https://www.amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at [email protected]

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

How I WorkBy Amantha Imber

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

120 ratings


More shows like How I Work

View all
Mamamia Out Loud by Mamamia Podcasts

Mamamia Out Loud

590 Listeners

Chat 10 Looks 3 by Chat 10 Looks 3

Chat 10 Looks 3

238 Listeners

No Filter by Mamamia Podcasts

No Filter

596 Listeners

This Working Life by ABC listen

This Working Life

21 Listeners

Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families by Dr Justin Coulson

Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families

151 Listeners

Crappy to Happy by Cass Dunn

Crappy to Happy

55 Listeners

Ladies, We Need To Talk by ABC listen

Ladies, We Need To Talk

339 Listeners

Biz by Mamamia Podcasts

Biz

18 Listeners

Parental As Anything by ABC listen

Parental As Anything

43 Listeners

The Imperfects by Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton & Josh van Cuylenburg

The Imperfects

452 Listeners

How to Date by Amantha Imber and Monique Robin

How to Date

5 Listeners

Nothing To Wear by Mamamia Podcasts

Nothing To Wear

99 Listeners

The Fin by Australian Financial Review

The Fin

18 Listeners

But Are You Happy? by Mamamia Podcasts

But Are You Happy?

49 Listeners

15 Minutes with the Boss by The Australian Financial Review

15 Minutes with the Boss

6 Listeners

MID by Mamamia Podcasts

MID

90 Listeners