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You probably don't realise it but certain activities automatically grab your attention. Say, for example, you're reading an email, and you receive a new Facebook message -- your focus immediately shifts to Facebook. Now let's say, while you're replying to the Facebook message, one of your Twitter updates gets retweeted -- now you're looking at that instead. Wait, a new text message. Hold on, someone's calling you on your phone. While that's happening, your iPad makes a loud noise.

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How do you know which to ignore? Can you even squeeze any actual work in? This is where David McCandless' Hierarchy of Digital Distractions come in. You know, for reference -- in case you forget.

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